


Darlin' Darlin'

by AngelApollo



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Character Death, Coming of Age, F/M, Getting Together, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, but none in the story, like they're already dead, some smoking so a heads up for that I guess?, stand by me au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:33:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 25,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelApollo/pseuds/AngelApollo
Summary: A Stand By Me Au“I was 15 years old when I first saw dead human being.”Eridan Ampora had never expected his friend Karkat to ask them if they wanted to go see a body. Now he, Karkat, their friend Gamzee and Eridan's long-time crush go on a journey following the tracks to find the body of their dead classmate.While Eridan is still trying to get a handle on his feelings for his best friend, he is constantly reminded of the recent death of his older brother, and the mysteries he left behind.
Relationships: Cronus Ampora/Mituna Captor, Eridan Ampora/Sollux Captor, Latula Pyrope/Kankri Vantas
Comments: 12
Kudos: 21





	1. When the Night has Come

_\------------_

When the night has come

\------------

_“I was 15 years old when I first saw dead human being.”_

\------------

Along a deserted back road in upstate New York, an eggplant coloured Ford Mustang sat, the engine idle and the radio turned down low. Outside, the fields either side of the dirt track were deserted and bare, still too early in the year for crops, but a gentle breeze and pale, sickly, sunlight gave the area a feeling of comfort and hope.

Inside the automobile, Eridan Ampora sat emotionlessly, glasses askew and tired eyes trained on the paper in his lap. The radio hummed an old Elvis Presley song, one that he usually loved, but he wasn’t in the mood for singing along to.

Eridan Ampora was 46 years old, and it had been a year since the incident. The death of the person most important to him.

_‘Man, 45, stabbed in the neck in fast food restaurant.’_

The headline was a year old, but it was still fresh to Eridan. They had never listed his name; he was just called “A professor at the local university”.

Another nameless murder that would be forgotten by most, if they hadn’t already. Outside, two teenagers flittered by on their bicycles, ignoring the grieving man in his fancy car, but Eridan stared at them, lost in his memories.

The song changed, to another old favourite, and this one he tuned in to.

“ _When he looks in to your eyes, I know that you will realise, and guess who that someone must be.”_

Johnny Mathis sang softly, and Eridan couldn’t hold back the tears this time, a lump in his throat, and ran a hand through his greying hair.

When this song first came out, he’d been in his prime, elegant and proud.

As the song ended, Eridan reached for the knob, turning off the station as it filtered onto the sports news, and reached for the notebook on the passenger seat.

‘ _His old seat.’_ Eridan couldn’t help but think, even though it had been vacant for months.

He withdrew the expensive fountain pen he had hooked to the side of the book. Eridan had been attempting to write a memoir for years now, maybe even turn it into his next book, but never knew where to begin. His childhood had been mostly dull, and he didn’t want to relive it.

But now he knew where to start. 

\------------

“ _It was Labor Day weekend, the year of 1959, that my life really changed._

_I was living in a small town called Alternia in Maine. There were only 1,281 people in the town alone, but to me it was the whole world.”_

\------------

Eridan picked out his favourite magazine from the stand, The National Geographic, as well as a couple of comics, before paying and exiting the quaint store. He’d been waiting for this latest issue, seeing something about California’s National Parks and couldn’t help but smile to himself at finally getting it, no matter how much his friends teased him for reading such a nerdy mag. It was still early in the day, just past nine am on a Saturday, and the main street of Alternia was deserted, just a few older shoppers bustling about.

Eridan strolled into another store, checking for the latest LP’s, but darted out when he heard Rockin’ Robin playing, a song he couldn’t stand. Two minutes later he found himself whistling the irritating tune, and mentally chided himself for it.

He was 16 years old, and if he hadn’t totalled his car, he wouldn’t be walking the quiet suburbs to his old clubhouse near the allotments at the end of his lane.

Really, he and his friends were too old for the treehouse that was falling apart, but it held a dear place in his heart. Eridan had helped his brother build it for himself and his friends years ago, and then when they got too old, the hunk of junk was passed down to him. Eridan didn’t want to give it up, hell, he’d probably still be sitting in it when he left for college, splinters up his ass and dust in his dark hair.

Eridan climbed the hill, the sun beginning to warm his skin, and he was glad he was wearing a simple blue t-shirt and jeans today, as he knew it was going to be a hot one. When he reached the haphazard hut, he tapped the underside of the planks above his head, giving it a shove but found it was un-openable.

“Let me in asswipes!” Eridan called up to whoever had beaten him to it this morning.

He grunted as some sawdust fell into his face from them moving about above him, giving his glasses a wipe before the hatch opened and Eridan hauled himself up like he was still ten years old.

The clubhouse was small, even smaller as they were now teens, but filled with games, comics and a radio. Eridan slunk into his usual spot by the window, stuffing one of the musty pillows behind his back as his two friends closed the hatch and replaced the makeshift box/table over it.

“Didja get me some bubble-gum or what?” A voice from the table brought Eridan’s attention to the pair who had already went back to their card game.

“Yes, Sol. Here.” Eridan pulled the pack of juicy fruit out of his pocket and tossed it to the other boy with glasses and golden hair. “Use it to get rid of the taste of those cheap cigarettes.” Eridan added, wrinkling his nose as if that would actually make the other feel guilty about smoking in a tiny space.

“Thanks, ED.” Sollux Captor said from his spot on the floor, smiling lazily at Eridan and took another drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out and taking a stick of the candy. Eridan was used to the little lisp he left on the end of his s’s, but it still made him laugh a little inside.

Eridan returned the smile, as Sollux tossed a piece to the boy opposite him, and went back to his cards, and Eridan opened up his magazine.

“What’s in the dork book this time?” Sollux asked almost instantly, not taking his eyes away from his deck.

Eridan knew Sollux didn’t need to concentrate so hard on a game, especially when it was against their permanently blissed out pal, Gamzee Makara, but he’d also been best friends with the blond for six years and knew when Sollux was trying to act disinterested when he didn’t mean it.

“’Giant Sequoias: Earth’s largest living things draw millions to California’s parks.’” Eridan read aloud.

Sollux gave the fakest, most drawn out yawn he could muster, Eridan nudging him lightly in the leg with his sneakers.

“Oh, something for you!” Eridan said sarcastically. “’Inside the world of the honeybee.’ I’ll leave the magazine here when I’m done, and you can get your fix after.” Sollux shrugged, pretending he didn’t give two hoots either way but Eridan had caught him reading the Geographic’s more than once.

“Play with us too, my man.” Gamzee drawled out sleepily. His black hair was even wilder than usual, and Eridan wasn’t even sure if he owned a brush these days. Eridan shuffled forward, sitting between the two and drawing cards.

Sollux lit another cigarette, and Eridan rolled his eyes at him. He’d said many times to Sollux about his father complaining of him coming home with his clothes reeking of smoke. He didn’t tell Sollux how his father said he smelled like gutter trash, like those kids who live out in the sticks like Sollux and his family. Sollux ignored him, rolling up the sleeves of his white tee, revealing more of his toned, golden arms. Eridan looked away quickly, picking up another card and attempting to dull the ache in his chest at the sight, as he always did around Sollux lately.

“How do you know a Frenchman has been in your backyard?” Sollux said suddenly.

“What?” Eridan was caught off guard, and Sollux repeated the odd statement.

“Hey, brother, I’m a Frenchman.” Gamzee warned, cottoning on to where this was going.

“Because your garbage cans are empty, and your dog is pregnant!” Sollux finished his joke, sending a smirk to Gamzee who flipped him off, clearly not finding it that funny. Eridan stifled his own chuckle at the ill-attempted joke.

“Take that back!” Gamzee yelped at him, riled up and alert. Eridan glanced between the two and sighed, just wanting to get on with the game.

“Nah.” Sollux said simply.

“I don’t make fun of your redneck lot!” Gamzee countered, spitting a little.

“Why not? You should.” Sollux laughed easily, lilted and happy. He wasn’t too worried about being offended or really upsetting Gamzee. “You’re not even French man, you’re from Maine.”

“Well, my great-great grandparents were from Toulouse, so I am French in my blood.” Gamzee huffed. “And my dad stormed the beaches at Normandy, so I’m really, really French, y’know?” He added on proudly.

“Whatever you say Makara.” Sollux shrugged, and neither he nor Eridan made a comment about another of Gamzee’s claims about his father.

The kid idolised a crazy man who had pushed Gamzee’s ear onto a hot stove when he was six, permanently damaging his hearing on one side, during a fit of deranged anger. Neither Eridan nor Sollux had ever met Gamzee’s old man, but that was on account of him spending his time in a mental facility up state. Still, Gamzee was in awe of his father’s exploits during the war, even with no proof that they had actually happened. Sollux had been friends with him for years, and Eridan had known the pale, dreamy boy even longer, so neither ever really tried to correct him at this point.

“I knock.” Sollux said, rapping his knuckles on the box.

“Shit.” Gamzee murmured to himself, drawing another card. “29.”

“22.” Sollux laughed.

Eridan tossed down his own deck in a huff, revealing his draw of 18. “Oh piss up a rope.” He snorted as both Sollux and Gamzee howled with laughter at his dramatic outburst. Eridan slid back to his original spot by the window, grasping for his magazine and flushing from his friends eyes on him.

“And Eridan’s out!” Gamzee listed like a sports commentator. “Old Ampora just bit the bag and stepped out the door.” The teen chuckled to himself, shaking a little and went back to dealing the cards between himself and Sollux.

Eridan took note as Gamzee helped himself to one of Sollux’s smokes, still muttering to himself and grinning like a madman. Eridan took the chance to take in his friends strangeness, his dirty nails and bone-skinny arms. Gamzee had always been an odd one, too interested in clowns and ‘magic’ elixir’s he found in the woods for any normal lad, with wild hair the colour of onyx and sunken, dark eyes that sparkled when he drank too much soda. Eridan had seen him wear this ratty purple button up Hawaiian shirt and black vest for the fourth time this week, as well as the busted-up sneakers and jeans with holes in them. Gamzee looked like a ruffian, but he actually lived just a few streets away from Eridan himself, in a not so small house with his mother and brother, and a small fortune left by his father. Gamzee just didn’t act like every other fellow rich kid that Eridan had had the unfortunate chance to meet. The kid was sweet, mostly, with some outburst of rage and it was like a switch had flipped when he went.

\------------

“ _Gamzee Makara was the craziest kid that we hung around with.”_

\------------

Eridan felt nothing but pity for the guy. It seems he didn’t have much of a chance in life, what with the abuse his father had left him to deal with, given to fits of rage. Eridan felt that Gamzee was either going to be a jail-hopping druggie in the making, with no real-life goals, or turn it all around and be some miracle-induced master of the arts. Eridan didn’t hold much hope to the second option. 

“I knock.” Gamzee said.

“You sack of shit.” Sollux frowned at him.

“A sack of shit has a thousand eyes.” Gamzee said whimsically, undeterred by Sollux.

The blond just tilted his head at Eridan, and the two shared a laugh. This new-age hippy shit that Gamzee came out with was a goldmine sometimes.

“What? What’s so funny? What have you got? I got thirty.” Gamzee egged on.

“16.” Sollux tossed his cards down with a smile and a puff of the smoke, knowing he’d lost.

“Go ahead, keep laughing.” Gamzee said good-naturedly.

Sollux kept laughing lightly to himself and it was in moments like these that Eridan truly hated what people said about his best friend. The town talked of him coming from a bad family, and just knew he’d turn out bad too. It didn’t help that Sollux seemed to be accepting of that idea too. But Eridan knew the true Sollux.

He knew the boy that turned up to town in 1951 with his father and older brother, the pest who immediately stormed his way into Eridan’s life, social differences be damned. True, Sollux lived on the outskirts of town in an old, run-down farmhouse, and his father had turned to drink and lost his job at a university in Portland, but he didn’t think this reflected on Sollux’s character. The Tennessee- born blond was smart, crazy smart, and a hard worker, taking on odd jobs at the diner or gas station when he could get them. He had a small group of friends that Eridan knew he cared deeply for, even if he tried not to show it. And whenever Eridan needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to make him laugh, he knew Captor would be the first one he’d call on.

More than that, Eridan had noticed lately how beautiful Sollux really was. He’d had a growth spurt recently, towering in at nearly six foot alongside Eridan. Where Eridan still held on to some of his baby fat, Sollux was all willowy limbs and sharp features, accentuated by his tanned skin and easy-going smirk. Eridan was captivated by his eyes though. Sollux had heterochromatic eyes, one brown and one blue, the same condition as the rest of his family, and Eridan wished he didn’t hide them behind his funny red and blue coloured glasses. Sollux looked like something out of a teen movie these days, in his pale blue jeans and white tee, his mismatched converses covered in mud and a cigarette hanging from his soft lips.

But Eridan tried not to think about that.

Eridan was shocked awake from his mulling on his best friend by another knock beneath them. Three quick raps.

“That’s not the secret knock.” Sollux calls out teasingly, even though none of them really took much credit in the childish game they had made up anymore.

“Aw, c’mon guys, I’ve forgotten it!” An angry voice answered back from under the boards.

“Karkat.” The three said together, with good-natured exasperation. Between them, Sollux pulled back the box and Gamzee lifted the trap, letting their friend inside.

A short, huffy Latino boy scrambled up into the clubhouse, his cheeks were tinged red and panting, chest heaving and sweat stuck to his forehead, making his copper brown hair stick to his face.

Eridan placed the box back down in it’s rightful place and bit back at the gasp in his throat when Sollux shuffled closer to him to make room for the new guy, their bare arms touching and Eridan felt his skin itch from the heat radiating between them. Sollux didn’t even spare him a glance, finishing the dregs of his cigarette and going back to dealing another deck of cards with Gamzee. Eridan nodded at the tanned boy still trying to catch his breath but returned to his magazine.

Karkat Vantas was always like this, high strung and looking like a kettle about to blow.

“Guys, you are not going to believe this.” Karkat wheezed, his voice gravelly and dry. “This is so crazy guys, truly boss.”

Eridan spared him a glance, but neither Sollux nor Gamzee paid him any attention. Karkat always had a crazy story to tell that usually just turned out to be incredibly mundane and hyped up in only Karkat’s mind.

Sollux went to pull out another cigarette, but Eridan swatted the fag out of his hand before he could light it.

“That’s your third in ten minutes.” Eridan chided. “Cool it down a bit, ok?”

The reek of the smoke wasn’t what bothered him, or the state it was no doubt doing to the blonds lungs, but he knew Sollux only chain-smoked like this when something was really bothering him. Sollux gave him a funny look but complied, while Karkat glugged away at a bottle of cola Gamzee had handed the hot-headed boy opposite them.

“Calm down mom.” Sollux said in a low voice, picking the cigarette up off the floor but put it back in the carton at least. “Just a bit stressed, thas’ all.” He murmured so only Eridan could hear.

“’Bout what?” Eridan whispered back, the others too engrossed in their sudden debate on whether Coca Cola was superior to root beer or not.

Sollux glanced to the box, suddenly very interested in the bed of his nails and shrugged a little. “Pa’s just been in another one of his moods the past few days again.” He said nonchalantly, as if it meant nothing. What it usually meant was Simon Captor drinking well past his limit for a few weeks, and occasionally laying a hand on his teenage son when he said something too inappropriate for his liking.

“You need a place to stay tonight?” Eridan asked. This wasn’t his first rodeo with the Captor family shit-show. Definitely not Sollux’s either.

Sollux just shrugged again, body tensing up. “Dunno. I’ll try and calm him down first tonight, see if he has any pills left.”

“Guys!” Karkat’s rough voice stirred them both, and the speaker slammed his palm down on the box, demanding all eyes on him.

“What’s up your ass Vantas?” Sollux drawled out.

“Oh, this is unbelievable this time, it’s so unreal. Absolutely unbelievable.” Karkat fired back, his speech fast and still breathy. “Let me just catch my breath, I ran all the way from my house.”

That was Karkat’s mistake, to say such a line to these three.

Sollux shot Gamzee a cheeky grin, who in turn leaned to his left into Eridan and the three burst into song like a practised number of tone-deaf performers.

“ _I ran all the way home, just to say I’m sorry!”_

Sollux was belting the lyrics obnoxiously, Eridan doing his best to keep to the tune like in choir practice and Gamzee was mostly just giggling at their idiocy and the deep flush of anger on Karkat’s face at being interrupted, occasionally harmonising.

“Okay, forget it. You losers don’t deserve to hear this cool shit anyway.” Karkat pouted at them. “I don’t have to tell you guys nothing.” He said smugly.

“Ok, ok guys, hold on. Hush.” Sollux held his hands out to quieten Gamzee and Eridan, tone stern and his gaze was fierce on the smaller boy.

This satisfied Karkat, and he crossed his arms over his chest, puffing himself up for the rant/speech he’d no doubt been practicing in his head on the way there.

“What is it man?” Sollux asked softly, Gamzee had a look of confusion on his face, like he was still processing the change in the atmosphere, but Eridan kept his smile to himself, casting a glance to Sollux, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing.

Karkat was none the wiser, taking the bait. “Okay guys,” he continued. “This is great, sincerely, so what…” Karkat paused to breathe and Sollux took the chance.

“ _I ran allllll the way home.”_ Sollux erupted into song again, Eridan joining in immediately and Gamzee clapping at the pair of them.

The three of them dissolved into a fit of giggles, Karkat waved an arm at them, looking ready to punch the next guy that sung. Sollux had practically melted into Eridan, laughing like an ass, his tense state from a minute ago gone, and Eridan clung to him, drinking in the feeling of a happy Sollux in his arms. Gamzee was flush against his other side, cackling like a crow as Karkat glared at the trio.

“Screw you guys.” Karkat growled at them, putting his chin in his hands and staring out the window.

“Nah ok, what is it KK?” Sollux relented, prying himself up off of Eridan’s lap, and Eridan just wanted to wrap his arms around that lithe waist and pull him back in. But he didn’t, Sollux would probably bite him if he did.

“Can you guys camp out tonight?” Karkat quickly changed his demeanour back to excited, eager to get his story out.

Sollux went back to the cards, Gamzee fumbling with the radio and Eridan tried to read his magazine for the third time, but they were listening to Karkat. Gamzee and Eridan muttered okays to Karkat’s question, up for a sleepover.

“Yeah maybe.” Sollux was more reluctant, eyes trained on the wood of the box. “My dads on one of his mean streaks, so I might not be able to.” He sounded embarrassed but Karkat didn’t pick up on that.

“You gotta man!” He pleaded. “We can camp out in my backyard in the big tent! This is so unbelievable. You can come, right Eridan?” He asked, big brown eyes begging.

“Yeah probably.” Eridan replied, still skimming the article.

“What’s this all about anyway, my good brother?” Gamzee focused on his best friend. “You all pissed off about something and shouting up a storm.” His voice was calm and sleepy, the opposite of Karkat’s.

“I knock.” Sollux broke in.

“Bullshit!” Gamzee’s attention quickly shifted back to their game. “Captor, you’re lying to me, you don’t have a full hand!”

Karkat audibly sighed, pressing his fingers to his temples. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered hanging about with these knuckleheads. But he was desperate to spill his gossip.

“Make your move dumbshit.” Sollux wasn’t paying attention any longer, egging Gamzee on.

Gamzee gritted his teeth, debating his next shot, but Karkat said something that made them all finally listen.

“You guys want to go see a dead body?” He asked with a smirk.

\---------------

Eridan sat up straight at the words that had slipped out of Karkat’s mouth, as easily as if he was just asking the guys if they wanted to catch a movie. Either side of him Sollux and Gamzee reacted similarly, putting down their cards and facing the Latino boy.

“Has my hearing gone to fuck like my eye sight, or did Karkat Vantas, the son of a Preacher, just casually ask us if we want to go see a dead body?” Eridan gaped at the boy opposite him, who was still smirking like the Cheshire cat, basking in their shocked expressions.

“Shut your gaping mouths guys, you don’t want to kill any poor flies that make the mistake of thinking your icky maws are worth dying in.” Karkat teased and didn’t elaborate on his out-there question.

“Yes, my Ampora pal, it seems Karkat did just ask us that.” Gamzee finally answered.

“What the fuck are you on about?!” Sollux snapped, jolting up and knocking the box flying. Gamzee caught the cards but didn’t think to catch the bottle of cola that had landed so nicely on Eridan’s leg, soaking his new jeans. Eridan dragged the blond back down into a sitting position, eyes locked on Karkat.

“Chill out Sol, let’s see what the fuck Kar is on about before we ship him off to the asylum. Maybe he’s just talking about taking a walk through the cemetery for some berries he found or something.” Eridan said, shooting a glance at Karkat, hoping he would actually say something like that, not lessening his grip on Sollux’s arm in case the other boy felt like jumping Karkat. Eridan wanted to keep the peace, really.

“So earlier this morning I was stuck at the church, polishing all those stupid candlesticks…” Karkat began, and

Eridan knew about those candlesticks. Earlier in the year, Karkat had mouthed off to his father, who happened to be a Preacher at said church, one of the only two in town, at the perfect moment when a visiting cardinal had been in earshot. Mr Vantas was far from pleased at his youngest sons outburst of foul language and had sentenced Karkat to six months of laborious work in the church, the most common being polishing the never-ending candlesticks and other brass and silver inside. Gamzee would often come and help, he seemed to find the repetitious rubbing relaxing, and Karkat suspected he liked the fumes from the polish a little too much too. Eridan would chip in with helping Karkat out with the chores every now and then, when he was feeling generous, and the same could be said for Sollux if Karkat bribed him with a quarter.

“I was in the outhouse, where the excess crap was,” Karkat continued. “And I heard Kankri storm out into the garden, with Porrim, and he didn’t know I was there because they started talking about some weird shit.”

Eridan knew Kankri and Porrim well, the first being Karkat’s big brother, the second had been Eridan’s older brothers girlfriend. Both were two years older than Eridan and his friends, Porrim had gotten a job in a tattoo parlour and Kankri was still studying, a good, if not-uptight kid, but he still hung around with a wilder sort.

\--------------------

“Jesus, Porrim, we gotta do something!” Kankri’s voice was startled and nervous, even more than usual.

Karkat winced at the sound of his brother’s voice and crouched down out of view from the window. He wasn’t in the mood for a wound-up brother this morning. He was cranky as it was and didn’t need his prissy ass of a sibling lecturing him too.

“Why? Who cares? It’s not worth the hassle.” Karkat heard Porrim’s deep, sultry tone answer back, sending a shiver down Karkat’s spine. What had his brother gotten into this time?

“We saw him.” Kankri said.

“So?” Porrim also sounded pissed off now, and Karkat heard the flick of a lighter going. His father would kill them if he knew they were smoking out back.

“It’s nothing to us.” Porrim continued. “We just gotta stay out of it. We’ve been mixed up in too many deaths lately, it makes us look bad.”

“What do you mean it’s nothing to us?” Kankri was pacing, Karkat could see his shadow moving back and forward by the window.

“The kids dead.” Porrim said. “So it means nothing to him too. Let’s just keep our mouths shut Kankri.”

Karkat stilled, the air in the outhouse feeling cold, even though it was the hottest day this month, the morning already sunny and making him sweat. Did he just hear her correctly?

_A dead kid?_

What the hell was his brother up to? And his friends. This wasn’t the type of thing Karkat had expected to be eavesdropping on.

“How can you say that?” Kankri’s voice was low and emotionless now. “What if it had been Kanaya?” Karkat felt sick at the thought of that, Kanaya was Porrim’s little sister, and a very good friend of his.

“Don’t say something like that!” Porrim hissed. “Either way, it’s not Kanaya or Karkat or Nepeta, and the cops will find him soon anyway. We’ll leave it at that and save ourselves a bunch of questioning or worse.” Porrim finished, stomping by the window.

Karkat shrunk down further, feeling sick. What if it had been him or Kanaya? Or his little sister Nepeta? He’d like to think someone would bring them home if that happened, not arguing over if they were worth the risk or not.

_This conversation was so wrong._

It worried him that Kankri was silent, as if he was actually considering what Porrim was saying. Kankri was never quiet.

_‘Please don’t do this Kankri.’_ Karkat mentally pleaded. He prayed to the God his father talked about every day, hoping that he would come down and smack some sense into his stupid brother.

_‘This isn’t some roadkill on the side of the highway. This is a kid! You gotta say something!’_

“This isn’t just a stranger either.” Kankri spoke out, and Karkat winced. He knew now who they were talking about. “This is Nitram, _our_ Rufioh’s kid brother! Don’t you think he deserves to know?” That confirmed Karkat’s suspicions.

“I know!” Porrim almost shouted. “Like I said, they’ll find him soon anyway! Don’t you know how mad he’ll be if he found out we’d seen his bro and just turned tail like a couple a wussies? That we hadn’t taken him with us?” Kankri scoffed at that but Porrim carried on.

“And the cops? They’d have our asses for doing that too. That we’ve kept quiet for 12 hours already. What’s another few until they find him?”

“Porrim- “Kankri tried to interrupt, but Porrim didn’t stop.

“And what about us? You think I’d still have a job if the town got wind of me being near a dead kid? You know what they think about me already.” She said with scorn in her voice. “And you think some hot shot college will let you in after that? Not a fat chance.” Her tone bitter.

Karkat’s butt was aching from the odd position he was scrunched up in, his legs burning from squatting for so long, his arm scratching against the rough wood of the side of the shed. But he didn’t dare make a sound. If Kankri and Porrim knew he was there, he’d be saying his prayers and packing his bags right then. If they weren’t telling the cops or Rufioh Nitram about his dead little brother, then there’s no way they would have ever told him. _It’s like they thought he couldn’t keep a secret!_

“It’s not like it looked like a murder or anythin’” Porrim said, kicking at some flowers. “It looked like a train had hit him.”

\-----------

_“We had all followed the Tavros Nitram story closely in the news since he was a kid in our grade at school. Sollux and I hardly ever interacted with him, on the account of Sollux being pretty hard to socialise with, and my father didn’t want me hanging with the black kids. He was already outraged at me being friends with a poor scruff of a boy and the son of a Mexican immigrant. Karkat had some classes with him, but they weren’t exactly friends._

_But Gamzee had been close with Tavros. If he wasn’t hanging with us or the lawyers daughter, Terezi, he was with Nitram, often down at the river or the library. They both liked fantasy books and talking about new age philosophy. He’d been pretty shook up when he’d first went missing, three days before Karkat had overheard that conversation in the Church’s backyard. The story goes that he’d went to go pick berries and nobody had seen him since. The cops were still searching for him, but people didn’t have much hope. Everyone knew he was dead by now; the question was just where he was. He was just another low-class black farmer’s son, not worth fretting over.”_

\-----------

“I still think we should tell the cops.” Kankri was still arguing, and for once Karkat was glad about that.

“You don’t go squawking to the cops after you boosted a car Kankri.” Porrim said flatly. “They’d want to know how the hell we got all the way out on Back Harlow Road. They know neither of us have cars. No.” She waved an arm out. “We just gotta keep quiet, and they can’t touch us.”

“We could make an anonymous call?” Kankri offered.

“Not a chance.” Porrim shot back. “One, your voice is pretty distinct, they’d be on you in seconds. And two, they track that shit. I’ve seen it on Highway Patrol. We’d be taken in within the hour.”

Karkat heard the older teens walking further away, down the gravel path to the gate at the end of the garden.

“Wish we hadn’t boosted that dodge.” He heard his brother grumble, and the stone sank in Karkat’s stomach.

_‘Kankri gave in.’_ He knew immediately. _‘Some good Christian son you are, huh?’_ he thought bitterly.

“Wish Meenah had been with us too.” Kankri was still whining. “Then we could have said it was in her car.”

“Hell naw.” Porrim answered and Karkat laughed a little at her talking about hell in a churchyard. “She’s still deep in the shit after the crap with Ampora.” Karkat winced at that, knowing they were talking about Eridan’s big brother. It was still pretty new, but this seemed to be the next story to top it in this small town.

The conversation was getting hard to hear for Karkat in his hideout now.

“Are we gonna tell her at all?” Kankri asked.

“We’re not going to tell anybody. Nobody, not ever.”

\------------

“Back Harlow road?” Gamzee almost shouted. “I know that place! My dad used to take me and Kurloz there to fish!” He was alert and frantic, waving his arms around, almost whacking both Karkat and Eridan multiple times. This was big news.

“It comes to a dead end by the Royal River.” Gamzee pressed his finger to the side of the upended box, like he was drawing a map. “The train tracks are right there. That must have been where Tav…” He stopped, like he’d just realised what this meant for Tavros.

Eridan and Karkat looked at their friend with pity, seeing it wash over Gamzee, the realisation that he wasn’t going to hang out with Tavros ever again. 

“Then KK’s right.” Sollux broke the silence. “We should go find him.” He jabbed a thumb into Karkat’s soft arm. “Jesus Christ man, if they’d known you were out there hearing that, they would have killed you.”

Karkat looked glum, he knew Kankri and Porrim would have skelped him alive right there and then.

“Could he have gotten all the way from Chamberlain to Harlow?” Eridan wondered aloud. Tavros’s farm was a good five miles out of town, but it still seemed a big distance for one boy to go, especially just to pick berries. “That’s really far.”

“Sure.” Sollux shrugged. “He probably started walking on the tracks and followed them the whole way.” Eridan nodded in agreement, he’d heard people doing that plenty of times, Karkat doing the same.

“Yeah.” Gamzee cut back in to the conversation. “Right. And then, if he was walking back in the dark, or not out of the way on time, a train must have come along, and “El smacko”.” Gamzee smacked his palms together, emotionlessly describing his friends likely death with enthusiasm.

Karkat began shaking his head, like it had just hit home to him too what he’d overheard, and more, what he’d suggested they go do. He hadn’t really meant for them to go look, he just wanted them all to shut up for five seconds and listen to him. He tugged on the chain around his neck, poking the end of the cross into his mouth. He didn’t have to look up to know the other three were all facing him, waiting to see what they should all do.

“Hey.” Sollux said, like he was talking to himself more than anything, mulling over something in his head. He looked across to Gamzee who was back to the near-to-tears expression. “Hey!” He said again, doing a Gamzee move and smacking Karkat and Eridan either side of him, calling to attention.

“We should go! I bet, if we find him, we’ll get our pictures in the paper!” He said with excitement.” He pointed at each of them. “We could even be on TV.”

That perked Gamzee up. He said he’d always wanted to be on the screens, just once. He wasn’t picky what for. 

“Sure.” Eridan added in, trying to hype Gamzee up some more.

“We could be heroes.” Gamzee said with wonder. “And I know Tavbro would love it to be us good guys finding him, not some scummy cops.” He sneered. “It would be like honouring him, or something.” 

“I don’t know.” Karkat hummed, backing out. “Kankri will know I found out.”

“He’s not gonna care, because it’ll be us that find Tavros and he’ll be off Scott-Free.” Eridan said back. Karkat still looked reluctant, resting his head to the side on Gamzee’s shoulder. “It won’t be him or Porrim or their boosted car in the news.” Eridan went in for the final incentive. “They’ll probably put a medal on you.” He said in a sweet tone.

That made Karkat sit up a little. He went nuts for that sort of thing. His happiest moment from childhood was probably winning a wooden spoon in an egg and spoon race at school. “You think so?” He smiled, almost dopily.

“Uh-huh.” Sollux encouraged, but Karkat’s face fell again.

“What will we tell our folks though?” He sighed. “It would take us a whole day to get there, my parents would go crazy if I just disappeared for a whole weekend.”

Sollux twitched at that, and Eridan smiled wanly at him, knowing that Sollux was thinking that _his_ father probably wouldn’t. 

“Exactly what you said earlier Kar.” Eridan volunteered. He always felt like the man with the plan in this group. Or the one with the successful plans at least. “We’ll tell our folks that we’re tenting in your backfield, then you tell your folks you’re staying at Gamzee’s.” Eridan listed.

The other listened intently, processing the probability of it working. They’d heard other kids did this to go to parties. Their reason was a little stranger. Sollux pulled out another cigarette but Eridan wasn’t finished, not bothering to stop him lighting up this time.

“Then we say we’re going to the drag races the next day. That way we’re rock solid until tomorrow night.” Eridan finished, sitting back smugly.

“Man, that’s a plan and a half.” Sollux chuckled, holding out his palm for Eridan to smack. Eridan high-fived him and looked at the other two for their responses. 

“But if we find the body in South Harlow, they’ll know we didn’t go to the races.” Karkat whined. “We’ll get our asses hided.”

“Nobody will care…” Gamzee nudged him from his shoulder, making Karkat look up at him. “Because everybody will be so jazzed at our discovery and bowing down to us like we’re royal motherfuckers, it won’t make a difference.” Gamzee was along for the ride too it seemed.

Karkat rolled his eyes, going in and out of agreeing with the rest of the guys.

“My dad’s gonna hide me, anyway, so let’s at least make it worth it.” Sollux joked, self-deprecating and that hurt Eridan inside to hear. He wished it wasn’t true, that he could keep Sollux away until his father was well again. “So let’s do it!” Sollux cheered.

“Yeah!” Gamzee punched a fist in the air, shaking with glee.

“ED?” Sollux turned to face him, and how could Eridan ever say no to that face?

“Sure.”

“KK?” The last one.

“I don’t know.” Karkat shrugged.

“Kaaaarkat.” Sollux sung, not letting up.

“Come on Karbro.” Gamzee chimed in. “We gotta for Tav.”

The pair of them each grabbed Karkat, Gamzee hanging onto his arm like a koala bear and Sollux draped over his shoulder, ruffling a hand through Karkat’s thick waves.

“Okaay, fiiine!!” Karkat relented. “If it gets you clingy assholes off of me!”

“All right!” Gamzee cheered. “We’re coming for you Tavros!”

\------------

_“I wanted to honestly share my friends enthusiasm, but I couldn’t. Not really. That summer at home, I had become the invisible boy. A ghost in the halls of my own home. That’s what it felt like around my parents. It left a sour taste in my soul each day, and even when I was out in the sun with my friends, a little part of my brain was reminding me that soon I’d be back home in the dark. Alone.”_

_\------------_

“Mom, have you seen my sleeping bag?” Eridan called out from a window on the upper floor of the huge Ampora home.

Beneath him, both his parents were in the garden. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, and his mother already looked out of it, folding the bed sheets over the washing line incredibly wonky. A glass of something was on the picnic table nearby. Closer to the house, Orpheus Ampora, Eridan’s father, was sitting in a deck chair with a cup of coffee and a newspaper, ignoring both his wife and son.

“Mom?” Eridan tried again, resting his elbows on the windowsill. Maybe she just hadn’t heard him the first time.

Still nothing. She swayed a little, like the gentle breeze was too much for her and coughed. She wasn’t even hanging up the laundry anymore, just staring off into space. Orpheus peeked over his paper at his distant wife.

“It’s in Cronus’s room.” Orpheus answered for her.

Eridan extracted himself from the window. “Oh.” He said in a small voice.

\------------

_“In April that year, my older brother of three years, Cronus, had been killed in a car accident. He hadn’t been alone. In the passenger seat, and equally dead, was Sollux’s older brother of only eighteen, Mituna, who had died in the hospital two hours after he’d been rescued. Cronus was killed in the wreckage, before the cops even turned up. It had been four months since their death and Sollux and I were dealing, although we both missed our brothers terribly._

_Our parents on the other hand, was a different story. While Simon, Sollux’s father, had already been rather unstable, now he had really went off the deep end, refusing to take his medication and drunk more often than not, his prestigious job long gone and his care for himself with it._

_My parents hadn’t been able to put the pieces back together again. Sometimes I wished they had reacted like Simon, because at least it showed they felt something. Instead, they hardly talked. To each other, or to me. The house was an empty shell without Cronus and his stupid jokes and loud music there to keep it from feeling like a funeral home.”_

_\------------_

Eridan tentatively pushed the wooden door to his brothers old bedroom open, hearing it creak like a ghost. He avoided this room. It hadn’t been touched since Cronus had died, his parents had only been in it briefly to find his suit for the funeral. The floor was still littered with school books and comics, his ‘baby’-a guitar-propped up against the wall on its stand.

Eridan went over to his bookshelf, fantasy books and poetry Cronus used to read as a child, back when he was an introverted little geek with braces and glasses. Alternia High School banners were pinned to the wall, alongside posters and magazine cut outs of his favourite musicians. A framed photo of Cronus sat on the top of the shelf, him smiling proudly in a football uniform with Horrus Zahhak and Rufioh Nitram after they’d just won the game by a landslide last year. Beside it were multiple sports trophies he’d won over the years, baseball and basketball included. This pleased their father, but Eridan knew Cronus had never really cared for the games, not when his real passion was playing rock ‘n’ roll and being a flirt.

Eridan edged closer to his bed, still unmade and empty looking. He smiled at the stuffed toy whale that was pushed up against the wall, half hidden by a blanket. Cronus had had that since he was a baby, Eridan had his toy seahorse. On the nightstand were two picture frames, one of Cronus and Porrim standing in their prom outfits, facing each other and holding hands. Cronus usually never looked that done up, with hair combed to the side and tie on straight, a painted-on smile on his face. Opposite him Porrim looked like another girl, hair pinned up and a long-sleeved dress on, hiding her tattoos. The other picture next to it looked more like the brother he knew, hair slicked back and a leather jacket. It was a picture from when he had went to the lake with his friends last summer, Mituna crammed up against him sticking his tongue out, and Kankri on his other side, glaring at someone off camera, still in his woollen sweater. In the middle Cronus was smiling like a dopehead, arms slung over his pals shoulders.

Eridan glanced quickly to the photo reel pinned to the wall above the headboard, a strip of four photos that looked like it came from the machines at the bowling alley. The first two of the pictures were of when all twelve of Cronus and his friends had tried to pile into the booth at once, mostly just a blur with some people’s eyes or foot present. The third a snap of Cronus and Porrim both looking about to cry with laughter. The forth was one of just Cronus and Mituna, with what looked to be Mituna in his lap and Cronus trying not to drop him.

It hurt Eridan to look at these, seeing his brother so alive and happy. Even though they were black and white, the pictures felt colourful and vibrant, radiating the joy that Cronus must have had when they were taken. Sometimes he thought of taking them into his room, but then Eridan decided against it, feeling like he was robbing a grave. These were Cronus’s memories, not his.

Eridan got down on his hands and knees to peer under the bed, in case the sleeping bag was under there. He couldn’t remember the last place he’d even seen it; Cronus had used it last at the start of April and it could be anywhere. Instead, he was greeted with just a lot of dust, some disgusting old tissues and socks, and a lot of paper. Curiosity got the better of him, and Eridan pulled some of them out, seeing maths homework and funny drawings of the teachers that Cronus must have drawn in class.

Some were song lyrics and sheet music, an Elvis one that Cronus had been practicing. Eridan recognised a few that he’d heard Cronus play, and some that he’d written himself, and he had to hand it to his brother, he had talent.

_Had._

These songs were never going to be sung again, and it was a crying shame.

One sheet caught Eridan’s eye. It was a song that Cronus had never shown him, and it must have been new, but the date scrawled at the top of the paper stated that Cronus had written it over a year ago. With furrowed eyebrows Eridan read over the lyrics, checking that he definitely hadn’t seen it before and all it did was confuse him.

_‘That’s my blond haired, brown eyed beauty,_

_Lips as sweet as honey,_

_Oh my baby, oh my baby loves me true,_

_It’s a dream to hold you close each night,_

_Be my little star, be my guiding light,_

_Promise me forever, and I’ll give myself to you.’_

And Eridan remembered the one time he had seen this song.

\------------

It was thanksgiving of 1958 and Eridan was holed up in Cronus’s room for the evening, as the pair of them had just had an incredibly tense family meal with their parents and distant relatives and neither felt like socialising with that folk any more than they had to. Eridan was flat out on the bed, nursing his belly after eating so much at dinner and Cronus was laying on the floor doing the same, an old Sam Cooke record singing away softly. Orpheus wouldn’t be happy about Cronus playing a black man’s music when guests were over, but Cronus was long past the point of caring after that argument.

“You’ve only got this year Cro, then you’re out.” Eridan said to the ceiling.

“Mm.” Cronus murmured. “Coulda been gone a year ago if I hadn’t been held back for that stupid shit in 9th grade.”

“But you still wouldn’t have left.” Eridan countered.

“Would so.” Cronus argued back.

“Nah.” Eridan said. “You wouldn’t leave me, and Porrim, and Mituna and Kankri and Meenah…” He listed off. “Really all your friends.”

Cronus was silent from his spot on the floor. “True.” He said finally.

Eridan sat up with a groan. The record had come to its end and Cronus didn’t look like he was moving. Eridan shuffled off the bed and over to the machine, flicking through Cronus’s vast selection of music, trying to pick something good. A quick glance to his splayed-out brother on the floor indicated to Eridan that he didn’t care what he put on. A sheet of music fell out from one of the records when he picked it up and Eridan slowly bent down to pick it back up.

_‘I am never eating four plates of food in one siting again. No matter how much it avoids answering awkward uncles and aunts questions.’_ Eridan vowed to himself. He broke that promise a year later.

Eridan slid a Chordette’s record on and eyed the sheet music. It wasn’t finished and Eridan plonked himself back on the bed, reading the piece. He enjoyed his brothers music and thought as a whole, his lyrics weren’t half bad, so he was always excited when Cronus had a new song to show him. He didn’t recognise this one, Cronus was probably going to show him it anyway when he was done.

“Pfft.” Eridan let out a snort when he was done, making Cronus tilt his head to look at him. He didn’t notice Cronus’s eyes widen like a bug when he saw what he had. “It’s good, but won’t Porrim be mad you’re singing about some cute blonde?”

“Give me that.” Cronus was on his knees, leaning over to yank it out of Eridan’s grasp.

Now he was curious.

“Why?” Eridan teased. “Is it a secret?” He held his arm up out of Cronus’s reach, using his other arm to hold him back when Cronus started climbing onto the bed.

“No, it’s just not done. I’m not even sure if I’m gonna keep it, it’s crappy.” Cronus huffed, still making grabby hands at the paper.

“I liked it.” Eridan said. “Not sure Porrim will, what with her being a green-eyed brunette.”

“It’s just a song, she won’t care.” Cronus gave up, flopping onto his back beside Eridan, making the mattress bounce. “Loads of singers do it.”

“Hmm I guess.” Eridan glanced at the song again. The lyrics seemed more than just some imaginary girl though. Hell, even Eridan felt like he knew this chick, but he just couldn’t think who it reminded him of right now. “Just seems your putting up quite a fuss about it. You got some cute blonde on the side?” Eridan joked.

Cronus just let out a muffled laugh into the pillow and that spiked worry into Eridan’s core. Eridan liked Porrim a lot, surely his brother wasn’t being that much of an asshole to cheat on her?

“Just a song, chief.” Cronus repeated, not exactly filling Eridan with confidence.

“Do you even hang with any blonde girls? I can’t think of any, closest would be Latula but she’s a red-head and Mituna’s a boy, so he doesn’t count.” Eridan was more just thinking aloud at this point. Cronus’s tight-knit group of friends didn’t have any blonde girls in it at all. Maybe it was someone new?

Cronus stayed silent. “Well?” Eridan probed.

“Seriously, man. It’s nothing. Porrim’s seen it already, she liked it. So cool your jets, she’s not mad at me.” Cronus propped himself up on his elbows, eventually looking at Eridan.

“Just an imaginary girl then?” Eridan bit his lip.

Cronus looked down at the music, and Eridan got the feeling that Cronus had put a lot of his heart into this one. This didn’t seem like some faceless girl in his head, it was someone he really cared for.

“Yeah.” Cronus said at last, quiet and reserved, cementing Eridan’s suspicions.

“Anyway, I got something for you chief!” Cronus sprung to life, yanking the paper out of Eridan’s hands so fast he almost ripped it.

“What?” Eridan saw his brother move across the room in a blur, pulling a box out of his walk-in closet.

“Brought it back for ya from New York last week.”

Cronus and Mituna had went through to New York City for a trip, spending two days being tourists, seeing the sights and getting lost. Cronus was originally gonna go with Porrim, but she had backed out at the last minute. It seemed like the two best friends had had a blast, from what Eridan had heard of the tales.

“Before you say anything, no, it wasn’t from some fancy department store.” Cronus handed the box to him. “It was actually in some second-hand shop, but I thought you’d suit it real good. ‘Tuna took it home and washed it at his so you wouldn’t see it here.”

Eridan prized the lid off, seeing a wad of tissue paper, before tossing that aside. It felt like Christmas. Inside was the most gorgeous scarf he’d ever seen. Cronus knew his weak spot for winter-wear. The wool was soft as a kitten, a deep, rich purple, with golden tassels at the end. His favourite colour, and Eridan could already picture what clothes he owned that would go with it.

“Thank you!” He beamed, wrapping it around his neck.

Cronus just looked down at him, like some proud father. Sometimes Eridan wished Cronus really was his dad, he was certainly nicer than Orpheus.

“You like it?” Cronus asked, as if it wasn’t already obvious.

“Adore it.” Eridan nuzzled his face into the scarf, loving the fuzzy warmth.

“Glad you do, kiddo.” Cronus ruffled his hair, but Eridan pulled him forward into a hug.

“Love you Cro.” He mumbled into his brothers shoulder.

The dinner had been awful, it felt like the whole family against him and Cronus. The biggest thing Eridan was thankful for this year was a brother who cared about him so much.

Cronus returned the hug, patting Eridan lightly on the back. “Love ya too Danny.” That made Eridan smile even harder, then Cronus was pulling away. “Anyway, lemmie up, I got places to be tonight.”

“You do?” Eridan asked, watching Cronus stuff the piece of paper into his back pocket of his jeans and begin to pack his guitar into its case. “Porrim’s?”

“Nah.” Cronus was rooting around in his chest of drawers, and Eridan heard the crinkle of something foil-y but didn’t see what. Cronus found his cigarettes and pocketed them too. “Her ma wanted it to just be her and Kanaya this year.” Cronus said.

“Oh.” Eridan put the lid back on the box but kept the scarf on. He was a little put out, hoping that they were going to spend the rest of the evening together, joking around. “Then where are you going?”

“Mituna’s.” Cronus answered simply, picking out a jacket and buttoning it up. “He told me to come over when I was done here, he made extra pie and everything.” Cronus grinned, as if he hadn’t just eaten a bunch of it an hour ago.

“You’ll explode.” Eridan smirked at him.

“This is different, there’s always room for Mituna’s pecan pie.” Cronus stuffed his boots on and stood up straight, slinging the guitar over his shoulder and opening the door.

“See you late I guess.” Eridan got up to leave, to head back to his room and spend the night on his lonesome.

Cronus stopped in the hallway.

“Danny.”

“What?”

“Fuck it, come with me, you gotta try this pie.” Cronus said. “You can hang with Sollux or whatever.”

Eridan didn’t need to be asked twice, and the pair of them had left some pissed off parents and drove to the Captor home, and thus, Eridan had one of the best thanksgivings ever. The Captor family were all happy to see them, and Eridan spent the evening playing board games and singing to the radio with Sollux and Simon, Mituna and Cronus appeared occasionally when they weren’t sitting on the back porch or hiding out in Mituna’s room. Eridan fell asleep on the end of Sollux’s bed that night, full and happier than he had been in months.

And Cronus was right, that pie was pretty fucking good.

\-----------

Eridan dropped the paper like it burned him. He never did find out who she was.

Not that it really mattered now.

He wiggled off of the floor and got back to his task. He had places to be, not drifting down a melancholic memory lane. A quick glance around the rest of the room showed no sign of a rolled up sleeping bag, so the last place it had to be was in Cronus’s mess of a walk-in closet.

Great.

Luck was on his side today, and after Eridan pushed some jackets aside, he saw the bag right there, and pulled it out.

Eridan turned around, closing the closet door with a click, then nearly jumped out of his skin. His father was standing in the doorway, just watching him, silent and foreboding. If the light had been dimmer, he could have passed for an older, more disgruntled Cronus that liked to wear cardigans. And Eridan hated the thought of that.

“You found it.” His father said simply.

“Ye…yeah.” Eridan stammered. How long had his father been standing there?

Orpheus didn’t speak, but stepped to the side, still staring his teenage son down. It was obvious he wanted Eridan out of the room.

Now.

Eridan obeyed, shuffling past the man, clutching to the bag like it was a lifeboat. Eridan tried to book it back to his room but his father grabbed his sleeve as he followed him into the hallway.

“Why do you still hang around those losers? After everything that happened to him?” It wasn’t a question; it was an accusation.

“They’re alright dad.” Eridan defended.

“Right.” Orpheus sneered. “A scummy thief and two feebs. Real good pals right there.”

“Sollux isn’t a thief.” Eridan shot back immediately.

“He stole that money for the school trip.” Orpheus said, and Eridan had heard this story a million times. He believed in his best friend and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to argue with anyone who said shit to say about Sollux.

“That whole family is a waste of precious air.” Orpheus carried on. “If Cronus hadn’t spent his time hanging out with that retard, he would be alive right now.” Eridan didn’t say anything, trying not cry. “Just think of that, next time you think Sollux is such a great guy.”

\------------

Gamzee hummed a marching tune to himself while he packed for the evening. His mother was pleased to see him go have fun with his friends, giving him a little money to buy some snacks on the way. When he’d came home from the clubhouse, his head hurt from thinking about his friend Tavros and what had become of him, so he’d sat out in the back yard with his older brother, and the pair of them had shared a joint and talked about the miracles of life, and now Gamzee was feeling much better, swaying to his own singing. In his dancing, he knocked over some empty soda bottles and toy soldiers, but didn’t notice, too busy raking a brush through his mane of hair.

“Too cool, Gamzee, too cool.” He sung to himself, finger gunning his reflection for emphasis.

Karkat sat at the kitchen table, his backpack and sleeping bag sitting on the floor next to him. His mother had prepared a delicious lunch of meatballs and lima beans. Well, Karkat thought the meatballs were delicious at least. His older sister Meulin sat opposite him, her head in a book and picking at her food, mouthing the words to herself. His little sister Nepeta sat to his right, prattling away about some kid at school she’d became friends with.

“And it was so funny Karkitty!” Karkat glared at her when she said his childhood nickname. “Those kids weren’t leaving me be, so Equius came over, his chest all puffed out like some tough guy,” Nepeta was doing her best to imitate her weird friend, putting on a gruff voice and stretching out her twiggy frame. “Then was all like, ‘Now see here sirs, this is my girl, and I would really appreciate it if you let her be.’ And they didn’t, so he threw his stinky gym kit at them and they all ran away screaming. He’s so funny, sincerely.” She began to laugh loudly, before choking on her water.

Next to her, Karkat’s father patted her on the back, then rose from the table, placing his dish in the sink. Karkat didn’t comment on the strange straw hat with cat ears that he was wearing. Nepeta liked making hats, woolly or summery, and always gave one to their dad, and Karkat was used to seeing their father wear the weirdest shit. He’d even preached in some of Nepeta’s creations before.

Karkat was just glad that Kankri was absent, having lunch with his girlfriend in town. He had no idea how he could face Kankri right now, after hearing that. Karkat finished up the meatballs and stood to leave, but his mother must have heard him from the other room.

“You’re not leaving until you’ve finished the whole plate Karkat!”

“I have!” He yelled back.

“Even the beans?” She knew he hated them, so why did she even bother giving him them at this point?

Karkat looked down at his plate, still covered in his enemy. Then to the open window to his right. He put a finger to his lips, winking at Nepeta, before tossing them out into the back garden. The birds and bugs were gonna love him today. Nepeta giggled at him, Meulin didn’t even look up and Karkat called back to his mother.

“Yep! All gone! I’m heading out, see you tomorrow!”

Sollux raked through his chest of drawers for his glasses case, his pack already on his bed and ready to go, his canteen hanging from a strap across his chest. He stepped into the hall, casting a glance to Mituna’s old bedroom. There wasn’t anything he needed from there. Sollux tripped over some garbage in the hallway, before hurrying down the stairs, avoiding the broken step and more books and boxes laid haphazardly all over the place.

He made his way through the wreck of a living room. His father was passed out on the sofa, in nothing but vest and underpants, snoring away with an empty bottle of whisky on the floor. Sollux rummaged through the mess of envelopes and milk cartons on the coffee table, until he found his bounty, another pack of cigarettes that his father would surely forget about. He went over to the bureau that held a bunch of his dad old papers and work books, stuffing his dads gun and a box of bullets into the pack, just in case. A shiny package of cigars stuck out, and he swiped them too. It’s not like his father would notice.

Sollux was ready and stepped over to his dad.

“Pops.” He said.

No answer.

Sollux nudged his dads back with his knee.

“Dad. I’m going.”

That made Simon open his eyes, blearily and lost.

“What? Mituna?” His voice hoarse with sleep and whatever else he’d been taking.

“No. Sollux.” Sollux sighed, rearranging the strap of his pack.

“Oh.” Simon pushed his face back into the pillow. “Where are you going?”

Sollux rolled his eyes. He’d literally just had this conversation with him half an hour ago before Simon had decided to pass out.

“Staying at Gamzee’s with Karkat and Eridan. Do you want me to leave a note?” He had to get going.

“Mm.” Simon just mumbled. “Say hi to Eridan for me. Good kid. Vantas kid too. Gamzee’s odd, but good. Mm. Good friends.”

“Yeah, I will do dad.” Sollux’s heart hurt looking at his father like this. “I’ll be back tomorrow night, ok?” He scrawled out where he was gonna be on a loose scrap of paper and left it under the bottle. The only way his dad would find it.

“’Kay.” Simon blinked up at him, eyes glazed over. “Have fun Sollux.” At times like this, he almost seemed like a proper dad.

“See you dad. Love you.” And Sollux left the house, leaving his father to his sorrows. He’d stopped telling his father to look after himself or to be careful a long time ago. It was a waste of words. 

\------------

Eridan had left almost immediately after that encounter with his father, still fuming as he walked into town, kicking the dust on the sidewalk. Eridan didn’t look up as a run-down jeep drove by, but then a familiar voice woke him from his thoughts.

“Here’s good, mister!” Sollux’s nasally tone filled the air and Eridan stopped at the same time as the jeep did a few feet away from him.

Sollux hopped out the side of the car, slinging his pack over his shoulder and waving to the driver.

“Hey ED.” He skipped over to Eridan, a lazy smile on his face. “You ready?”

“All set.” Eridan patted his bag for emphasis.

Sollux darted his eyes back and forth across the street, scanning the area then glancing at Eridan with a sly grin. They weren’t quite on the main street yet, and nobody was around, probably still eating their lunches.

“Wanna see something cool?”

Eridan had been down this road before with his best friend. Sollux’s idea of something cool could sometimes be very different from Eridan’s.

“What?” Eridan asked suspiciously. Sollux had pranked him this way plenty of times before.

“Just come wi’ me.” Sollux dragged Eridan over the road by slinging his arm over his shoulder, the pair heading into the back lot of the diner, surrounded by nothing but trash cans and soda crates. Eridan melted like goo under Sollux’s hold, following easily.

Sollux lead them round the side of one of the massive industrial dumpsters, into the shade after checking for anyone watching one last time. Eridan wrinkled his nose at the smell. This had better be good. Sollux didn’t say a word, reaching into his pack for something.

Eridan’s eyes widened in shock when Sollux casually pulled out a pistol.

“Where the hell did you get that?” Eridan gasped. He’d seen guns before, his father kept a collection in the attic, but they were old antique rifles. This was a simple, everyday shooter, like something a robber would use.

“You want to be the Lone Ranger of the Cisco kid?” Sollux smirked, flipping it in his hand like a cowboy wannabe before handing it to Eridan to look at.

Eridan held it gently, like it was as delicate as baby bird, not a weapon that could take a life in an instant. The metal was cool to the touch, even though the day was already nearly 80 degrees. It was smooth, mostly, only an odd scratch here and there, not like the clunky toys Eridan used to have as a kid.

“It’s a .45.” Sollux awoke Eridan from his trance. “Took the last few shells in the box. My dad will just think he used them himself shooting at beer cans in the back yard when he was drunk.” This sounded like it wasn’t Sollux’s first time swiping his fathers gun, and something in Eridan stirred with worry at the thought of that.

“I can see that.” Eridan snorted. Maybe he hadn’t held one before, but he sure knew what they looked like. He pointed it to one of the dumpster cans, one eye squinting and pretending to shoot. “Is it loaded?”

“No, what do you take me for?” Sollux shrugged.

Eridan clicked his tongue, then pulled the trigger, expecting just an empty snap and a laugh, but instead a bullet sprang from the barrel, making Eridan recoil both in shock and force, almost dropping the gun as the bullet made it’s way to the trash can, denting the metal in a millisecond. Both boys jumped out the way as the bullet ricocheted off the tin, an inch away from Eridan’s ankle, before it lost itself in the gutter.

Eridan was up in an instant, pushing the now-hot pistol into Sollux’s pack, yanking his friend to his feet with ease. Neither of them had to say a word to the other, and both sprinted out onto the street, fleeing the scene before anyone could catch them.

Another loud bang came from the diner, from the heavy metal door to the kitchen and Eridan saw a young waitress in red stepping out, looking bewildered, but mostly angry. He recognised her and knew he didn’t want to get on Megido’s bad side, that girl had a reputation for winning her fights.

“Hey, who’s setting off firecrackers back here?!” Damara Megido screamed into the dusty air, turning her attention to the bins, as if she thought somebody was hiding behind them, instead of looking down the street.

Eridan took the chance and pushed Sollux into a side street while her back was turned, shoving the pair of them roughly behind the cover of a phone box.

Both of them tried to stifle their hysterical giggling, Sollux almost crying with his mouth to his hands.

“ _Shut up!”_ Eridan hissed, his own laughter and hysteric nerves making his voice squeak, which just made Sollux bend over laughing even harder.

“Your voice! Is that puberty calling again?” Sollux cackled at him. He wasn’t being very quiet and Eridan didn’t know if Damara was walking up the street or not.

“Shut up, seriously Sol!” Eridan said again, crouching down in front of the blond and putting his own hands to Sollux’s mouth, shooshing him himself.

Sollux stilled under the touch, leaning back against the wall. Eridan’s brain short circuited, even though the lenses of Sollux’s glasses were tinted, he could still see Sollux’s eyes locked on Eridan’s, curious and large. Eridan didn’t move his hand away, feeling the press of Sollux’s lips against his palm, and his mind began to wander, what those lips would feel like somewhere else, like Eridan’s cheek or neck or-

Gross.

Sollux had just licked his hands like a pup.

Eridan recoiled his hand on instinct, wiping his palms on Sollux’s jeans then standing up.

“You’re disgusting.” He said.

Sollux didn’t answer, smiling mischievously at up Eridan, before making off down the side street without looking back at Eridan.

Eridan’s senses came back to him, and now he was fuming at Sollux. Not for the hand-licking though.

Sollux had led them out onto the main street, walking briskly past the shops, knowing Eridan was just behind. Eridan caught up to him, outraged to see that Sollux was still laughing, like it had all just been one big joke.

“You knew it was loaded!” Eridan stepped in front of Sollux, blocking his way from going any further.

“I didn’t!” Sollux protested.

“I bet you did, you wet end.” Eridan didn’t care that they were airing out their domestics in front of some nosey ladies sitting in the dry cleaners. Fuck it, they can have a show. “That Tupperware babe no doubt saw us and we’re going to have our asses handed to us, just you see, Sol.”

Eridan knew he was pouting, fists clenched and doing his best to stand up straight, showing off that extra two inches of height he had on Sollux. Sollux had stopped laughing at least, finally taking him seriously.

“I didn’t know it was loaded. Honest.” Sollux held his gaze with intent, and Eridan hoped the glass was thick and these laundry ladies couldn’t actually hear them right now. “I wouldn’t just hand you a loaded pistol man.” Sollux squeezed Eridan’s shoulder.

Eridan’s determination to be pissed at Sollux was wavering, especially when that hand hadn’t let go on his shoulder, lightly rubbing Eridan’s bare arm instead. Sollux seemed to realise that, lowering his hand, but he still stood close enough for Eridan to be able to count his eyelashes.

“You swear?” Eridan persisted. He knew he sounded like a child, but he didn’t care. He just wanted Sollux to reassure him that he didn’t think it was funny to fuck about with Eridan’s life.

Sollux raised his hand to their eye level, sticking out his pinkie finger. “Scout’s honour” He kissed his pinkie, like they used to as children, the sign that cemented anyone’s word.

Sollux changed the next step though. He didn’t just wave it off, this time he lowered his kissed finger and linked it to Eridan’s own, and swung it gently for a moment, before he let go. Eridan gaped at him, Sollux was always so up and down in his emotions, but one thing he kept consistent was never showing any signs of affection to others in public, be it his friends, family or even a girl he was taking on a date.

Sollux seemed to have read Eridan’s mind, lowering his eyes and turning away, starting off down the street with a jolt, clearly embarrassed now. Eridan jogged to catch up with him when his mind had stopped pulsing, halting to a walk beside Sollux. Sollux stared straight ahead along the quiet road, but Eridan could see his flushed cheeks.

“Forgive ya, Sol.” Eridan bumped into him affectionately, making Sollux trip into the gutter with his trademark smirk back.

“Hey ladies.” Eridan almost smacked into the speaker as they stepped out of the shop to his side, dodging out the way before he collided with the tanned girl in her baseball cap.

“Meenah.” Eridan nodded at the girl he’d known since he was in diapers.

“Aww it’s the baby Captor and Ampora!” Another girl with red hair and sunglasses stepped out from the store behind Meenah, making a beeline to fluff Sollux’s hair.

“Hey Latula.” Sollux tried to duck out of her grasp, without success. 

“Where are you two weirdos’ off too then?” Meenah always sounded like this to Eridan, and he could never tell if she was just joking with him or actually being insulting.

“Camping.” He answered simply.

“Pfft, are you still twelve Eridan? Who goes camping with their buddies anymore?” Ok she was definitely being mean. “Got any goodies in your pack? Please tell me you aren’t lame enough to have forgotten the hooch when camping.” Meenah was at Eridan’s backpack before he could even swat her away, her strong arms reaching inside and grabbing for anything.

“Ooh I like this!” Meenah cackled with glee, and Eridan spun around to see his most prized possession being tossed between the two girls, the scarf that Cronus had got him.

It was far too warm to wear, but Eridan just liked having it nearby, like a good luck charm.

“It’s pretty!” Latula complemented, “Gorgeous colour! A bit girly though, is this really yours Eridan?”

“Yes.” He replied through gritted teeth. He reached out his hand for her to give it back but Latula hooked it around Meenah’s neck instead, playing around.

“Does it suit me?” Meenah twirled like she was on some fashion show, ignoring Eridan fuming in front of them. “Thanks ‘Pora.” Meenah started strutting down the street away from them and Eridan felt his stomach drop. Surely, she was just joking about?

“Catch ya later baby Captor, tell your dad I say hi!” Latula didn’t seem to find this whole thing weird, she probably thought Meenah was playing about too, just laughing at Sollux and running after her friend.

Eridan and Sollux stood there, both stunned. Eridan hadn’t wanted to cause a fuss with Meenah, it always ended bad. Her family and his had been friends since before he was born, so messing with Meenah usually meant a lecture from his father about keeping up appearances and good connections. Not just that, but she was the leader of the little gang full of the older teens, the same one that Cronus and Mituna had hung with. You didn’t want to get on her bad side.

“Hey, give him back the scarf!” Sollux beat him to it, his voice clear and calm, whereas Eridan feared that his would sound pathetic and watery right now.

Meenah and Latula paused in their hysterical laughter among each other, Latula looking at the boys with amusement, but Meenah looked at them like they were flies for her to swat.

“Nah, blondie.” Meenah blew a bubble with her cherry pink gum, the loud pop making Eridan twitch. “I like it.”

Latula had paused in her giggles, wearing a confused expression. She had clearly thought that Meenah was just fucking around like her.

“So fucking what?” Sollux retorted back. “It’s not yours, it’s Eridan’s, he got it from Cronus and my brother.”

Meenah blew another bubble and sidled back up to the boys, Latula in tow, who looked a little more reluctant to be there after that comment from Sollux. Meenah may have been shorter than the pair of them, but she still gave off an aura of toughness and a ‘don’t-fuck-with-me’ vibe. She had her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, her t-shirt tied in a knot at the side, exposing her stomach. This girl was untouchable, it seems.

“That so Ampora?” Meenah asked. “This a little present from dear old departed Cronus? Little Tuna too?”

Eridan flinched at her talking so casually about Cronus like that. And he wasn’t sure if Mituna had actually been a part of the picking out and buying process, but it seemed Sollux thought so, and Eridan was ok with that.

“Yeah. From thanksgiving.” He replied, trying to keep his temper in check.

“Hmm.” Meenah murmured, not addressing him, but going back to Latula. “Didn’t think those two boys could have picked out such a beauty. Do you believe them?”

“Yeah Meen’s.” Latula said hesitantly. “Mituna told me ‘bout it. They got Sollux a baseball cap.”

Eridan knew which one she meant, the gaudy yellow and blue thing with an apple on it. Sollux loved that hat.

“Was when they went to New York last fall.” Latula continued, and Eridan was thankful that it seemed she was on their side, albeit with a bit of reluctance. “Remember? They got us all keyrings. Must have spent a fortune just on souvenirs for everyone.”

“You mean we got those crappy things of the Statue of Liberty and Eridan got a fancy-ass scarf?” Meenah seemed insulted, as if she wasn’t the richest girl in town. “That’s not very fair, now is it?” She said to Eridan, a spiky grin that didn’t appear very genuine.

Eridan didn’t answer her, and Meenah carried on, still twirling the gold tassels in between her fingers.

“Seems unfair to me that you get a whole house full of Cronus’s shit, and what do I get to remember one of my best friends by? A keyring that’s already been bent out of shape.” She sighed, putting on the dramatics. “Now if you were a real gent, you’d understand how cruel that is, and just get lost and let me grieve my pal with a nice scarf to make me think of him.”

Meenah fluttered her eyelashes at Eridan, acting out some glamour movie shot she must have seen, but it didn’t work on Eridan. He knew that smile didn’t reach her eyes, and how sharp those teeth were behind her full, perfectly-applied, pink-lipsticked mouth. He didn’t buy it and her sure as hell wasn’t giving up that scarf.

“I’ll give you something from his room if you want, but that was a gift.” Eridan held out his hand again, hoping that Meenah would stop acting like a bratty child and give it back. Her little sister was miles ahead of her on maturity sometimes.

“Nah.” Meenah’s smile was getting meaner. “I want it. Tough luck fish-dick.” An old nickname she had used to call Eridan and Cronus when they were kids, on the account of them both loving sea life.

“He said give it back.” Sollux grabbed Meenah’s arm as she turned to leave, far too pleased with herself.

Sollux didn’t have a second to react before Meenah whirled round to face him, a fist clenched and meeting Sollux’s jaw.

“Meenah!” Latula gasped, looking around the street warily. One old man scuttled into the grocers but nobody else was around.

“You wanna try touching me again, Captor?” Meenah snarled at the blond.

Sollux wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and Eridan was relieved to see no blood.

“Most any boy would ever wanna touch a hag like you.” He grinned at her. “Now give back the scarf, you look ridiculous in it anyway. Doesn’t match your bitchy attitude.”

Meenah practically pounced on Sollux, knocking the younger boy to the ground and twisting him onto his front, as she held his arms over his back. One wrong move and she’d pull the joints out of their sockets. Sollux tried to wriggle away, but Meenah wasn’t letting up, shoving Sollux’s face down, an inch above the baked concrete.

“Now let’s try this again, you trailer trash.” Meenah said sweetly to Sollux. “You’ll apologize for being so rude and disgusting to a lady, and I’ll let you go with only a couple a scratches.” She listed her terms.

“Wasn’t talking to a lady, last I checked you looked like roadkill.” Sollux didn’t do a lot of things, and apologizing was one of them.

Eridan hated that about him, and right about now he just wanted to kick Meenah in the ribs and pull his friend to safety. Sollux was unpredictable, but in a way that Eridan could handle. Meenah, on the other hand, was a loose cannon.

But Eridan knew he couldn’t just jump her in broad daylight, and it seemed Sollux had cottoned on to this too. He was a scrappy fighter and would have bitten her by now. But Meenah, as cruel as she was, was still a girl, and if people saw Eridan and Sollux getting in a scrape with a chick, their fathers phones would be ringing off the wall. It didn’t matter if Meenah was the one to start the argument.

“You hear this braindead tool?” Meenah laughed haughtily to Latula. “You been at your dads stash already or what kid?” Meenah pushed Sollux’s face into the stone for that comment, and Eridan lurched forward.

“Let him go!” Eridan snarled, not touching her, but still trying to hold his own around Meenah. This just made her laugh.

“Aw how sweet.” Meenah simpered. “Have we got a round two of the Captora show? Man, they were cuties.” Meenah laughed, finding herself hilarious but Eridan wanted to muzzle her. He didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Shut your fat mouth about them.” Sollux could hardly be heard from his face being on the floor. “You don’t know nothin’.”

“Oh, I knew everything.” Meenah smirked, leaning down and bringing her lips to Sollux’s ear. “Want me to tell the whole town?” She mock whispered. “Not like they ever had much respect or care for your precious brother, but Ampora was on the up, want his legacy ruined?” Sollux stayed silent. “Thought so. I’m sure they’d all be talking about you and little Eri here, in case they aren’t already.”

Eridan had had enough of Meenah’s mind games, and stepped closer, ready to sock her in the jaw, people watching or not. Latula held out a hand, holding Eridan back. She looked ready to bolt.

“Meenah.” She tried. “Just let him up, kid didn’t mean it.” Latula had been close to the Captor family, and it seemed she was still protective of the youngest member.

“Kay.” Meenah yanked Sollux up by his hair but still held him against her, pulling his arms at an angle that looked excruciatingly painful. “ _After_ the brat apologies.”

“Eat shit!” Sollux snapped at her.

“Sol, just say your sorry, seriously, a scarf’s not worth you getting your face mashed up.” Eridan pleaded.

“She can’t just run around this town like she owns the place.” Sollux shot back at him, voice cracked and high. It made Eridan’s heart hurt to hear him like this.

“Oh, but I can.” Meenah purred. “Especially seeing as my mother does own the majority of it. What does your pops own, Sollux? Other than a bunch of debt and a twerp of a son?”

“Least I have a father who still cares about me, in his own way. Has your mother ever even hugged you?” Sollux said, his voice low. That made Meenah freeze up.

“Ok, you little shit.” Eridan gulped back as he watched her sink her nails into the side of Sollux’s neck, then draw it up, cutting into his chin, his cheek, the skin right near his blue eye. “You better get your act together and stop running your mouth around. That’s the kind of crap that got your sweet brother in trouble. You want that to happen to you?” Her voice was calm, chilly.

“Just apologize, for fucks sake Sol!” Latula cried and Eridan nodded alongside. This was getting serious.

“Well?” Meenah pinched harder, traces of blood over Sollux’s face already, a new cut every few inches.

Sollux was breathing hard, his eyes squeezed shut. Meenah shook him, and Sollux opened them, looking straight at Eridan with fire in his eyes. Eridan begged him with a stare, to just give up. This wasn’t worth him getting hurt for, and if Meenah’s threats were true, more pain down the line.

“Fine.” Sollux’s voice was small and distant. “You win. I’m sorry, for saying those things Meenah.” It didn’t sound sincere, but at least he said something.

Meenah practically beamed at that, pleased with her toy. She hauled Sollux up onto his feet. “Catch.” She said to Eridan, and roughly shoved Sollux towards him, Eridan gripping Sollux’s elbows to steady the blond before he fell.

“Now I feel much better!” Meenah’s voice was syrupy sweet and faker than her mother’s boobs. “Glad we sorted that boys.”

Neither of them said a thing, and Latula remained silent by her side, looking at Meenah like she’d grown a second head. She certainly had enough ego for two.

“Now behave yourself kids.” Meenah went to walk away. “Think about what I said Sollux, you don’t want to end up like Mituna and Cronus now, do you?” Latula flinched beside her, disturbed by such a comment.

Eridan shot a glance to Sollux, to see if he wanted to punch her as much as Eridan did right now. He felt a stabbing pain in his chest when he looked to his friend, tears running down muddy and bloody cheeks. But worst of all, Sollux just looked defeated. The two watched as Meenah waved a hand at them, ring clad fingers glittering in the sun, and began to swagger down the street away from them.

“Geh!” Meenah didn’t get far.

Latula had grabbed the ends of the scarf and stood her ground, a light tug yanking Meenah back towards them.

“What the hell Latula?” Meenah chocked.

“Take the scarf off, it’s not yours.” She said sternly.

Eridan and Sollux shared a look, not intervening on this. Latula could handle her own.

“What?” Meenah was still trying to get her breath back, gulping down air. She hadn’t expected her friend to not go along with her shit.

“Take it off.” Latula repeated. “You’re being ridiculous, it’s Eridan’s.”

“He was being a tool!” Meenah whined. “I don’t have anything from Cro!” She sounded like a toddler.

“Big whoop!” Latula rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we lost our friends, but they lost their _brothers_!” Latula swung her arm out, gesturing to Sollux and Eridan, who stood awkwardly, watching this play out. 

“Imagine,” Latula continued. “That you lost Feferi, and then someone tried to steal something precious she’d given you. You’d be pretty fucking pissed right?” Meenah nodded to that, much to the amazement of Eridan. “I’d be the same if it was Terezi! Hell, I’m surprised they didn’t beat the shit out of you there!” Latula was almost shouting now. “Don’t sully Mituna’s and Cronus’s memory by using it as an excuse for you to be an asshole.” Latula let go of the scarf, watching her friend.

Meenah looked about ready to blow, anger seething behind her eyes. She knew Latula was right, but she also couldn’t stand being humiliated like this.

“See the shit you boys cause?” She sneered at Eridan and Sollux. “I’ll remember this. Watch your backs.”

Sollux opened his mouth to bite back with something, but Eridan gripped the sleeve of Sollux’s shirt, not wanting to push their luck.

“And you, Pyrope.” Meenah growled at her own friend. “You’re not off the hook either. If you think you can speak to me like that, you got another thing coming girl.” Latula, too her credit, just looked mildly bored.

Meenah wrenched the scarf from around her neck and tossed it to the dusty ground, Eridan scrambling to pick it up before she could stomp on it. Meenah shot the pair of them one last death stare, before flouncing off down the street, her braids flying in the air behind her.

Latula stormed after Meenah, casting a glance to Sollux one last time, a tentative smile to Eridan, who mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her before she was out of sight.

“Well, that was fucking weird.” Sollux laughed dryly.

\------------

“Well, what do we even need a gun for?” Karkat’s brash voice rang out through the countryside, followed by a cough and a wheeze as he slid on his feet, the dusty mud of the bank was loose beneath their shoes as the four friends climbed onto the train tracks.

“It’s spooky sleeping in the woods.” Eridan answered, hoisting Karkat up from behind when he slipped again.

“Yeah my man, we might even see a real live bear.” Gamzee drawled.

“Or a garbage can.” Sollux snickered, catching Eridan’s eye and the pair dissolved into another fit of giggles. Eridan had gotten past his anger at Sollux from earlier.

The four stood in a line on the sun-baked tracks, Sollux and Eridan were still trying to stifle their laughter. Karkat looked angry at the pair, unsure if this was some inside joke about him, and Gamzee was staring up at the clouds, blissfully unaware of the shenanigans between his friends.

The day was getting hotter, and Eridan could feel his hair beginning to go limp from the heat, secretly glad that he didn’t have Karkat’s thick hair or Gamzee’s mass of curls. Sollux seemed in his element, being the first to start walking, tanned arms swaying at his sides. This probably reminded him of the pulsing heat of the south in summer.

“I brought a comb, by the way guys.” Karkat piped up, falling in line behind Eridan, with Gamzee making up the rear.

“Why the hell did you bring a comb?” Sollux laughed airily, and fuck the birdsong, that was the sweetest summer sound that Eridan had heard.

“Well, if we’re going to be on TV, don’t you think we should look our best?” Karkat answered simply, making Eridan smile.

“Good thinking Kar.” Eridan swatted at a fly away from his hair.

Karkat thought about the little things it seemed, not necessarily the most important ones. Eridan almost bumped right into the back of Sollux, too lost in his daydreaming to notice that his friend had paused.

Sollux was staring at the first bridge, tiny, only about twenty steps at most. The metal was painted red and parts were tainted with rust, the whole structure wobbling in a heat wave, but it had stalled them. Eridan took his place by Sollux’s side, doing the same as the blond, and a moment later felt the brush of Karkat’s arm coming up on his right side, and a scuffle of sneakers as Gamzee stood next to Karkat.

\------------

_“Nobody said it aloud, but we were all thinking the same thing._

_This bridge was the beginning. Tiny in comparison to other’s we would cross on the journey but great in significance._

_This was it._

_If anybody wanted to back out now, here was the place to do it. Head back home, switch on the box, read a comic, and forget all about Tavros._

_But none of us did. It felt like something invisible was looming over us, something none of us could escape. This was something that us four friends had to do. It was going to be us that found that body.”_

\------------

“How far do you think it’s going to be?” Gamzee’s voice was small and stilted as he asked the others.

“If we follow the tracks all the way into Harlow, it should be about twenty miles.” Sollux replied, still staring straight ahead. He sounded more like he was just thinking aloud, not really answering Gamzee. “Sound about right to you ED?”

Oh, he actually was talking to him.

“Seems about right.” Eridan mused. “Might even be thirty.” He couldn’t recall the exact amount from when he had looked on a map about an hour ago.

Karkat groaned at that, never a fan of long walks or any form of exercise. “Maybe we should just hitchhike.” He offered to the group.

The other three turned to look at him at once, all shaking their heads in various degrees of amusement and exasperation.

“No way, that sucks.” Gamzee sighed, and that seemed to break the spell, each of them stepping forward onto the bridge, walking once more.

“Why not?” Karkat whined. “We could go out to Route 7, to the Shiloh Church round there, catch a lift off some friendly church mom, then go down the Back Harlow Road. We’d be there by sundown!”

His voice was drifting as Karkat fell behind, Sollux leading the way with Eridan by his side and Gamzee in the middle.

“That’s pussy!” Gamzee was the only one really listening to Karkat anymore.

“It’s a long way!” Karkat shot back, catching up to Gamzee half way along the bridge.

“You ever really lived little Vantas?” Gamzee chuckled, reaching across to ruffle Karkat’s hair.

Karkat stood still, letting his best friend mess up his already messed up mop of hair, a perplexed look on his face.

“What do you mean?” Sometimes he just didn’t get Gamzee, no matter how many years of experience he had.

Gamzee let out a ghost of a laugh and shook his head, never bothering to answer Karkat.

\------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, my first fic in a long time! I'm one of those idiots who got into homestuck 10 years late, only in 2019 aha.
> 
> So, yeah I really love the movie Stand by Me, as well as the book The Body, and would seriously recommend watching and reading them! I'm not a very emotional person, but they both bring me to tears.  
> I hope it's not crazy ooc, I'm still getting the hang of writing them and I definitely find some characters easier to write than others, but I think that always happens. Some of the slang may seem weird on the characters, but I was trying to follow the style of the era and the speech in the movies.  
> I'll try to update as often as I can, maybe every couple of weeks, but I can't always promise that, especially when I have to go back to work. This will be rather long I imagine, especially as I have another series planned to go alongside this, like little snippets of each character or pairing, each one based on an Elvis song from the '50s. 
> 
> I don't have a beta reader and English is my first language so any spelling or grammar mistakes are my own fault.  
> I am Scottish so if things are incorrect about some American things, please let me know. I've tried to research as much as possible, but please don't hesitate to let me know when I've totally buggered something! I had to google what Labor Day was! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! If you want to send me any messages on tumblr my url is suna-sai :)
> 
> (Also I have no clue what card game they were playing in the movie, so I just tried to follow it along, and I guess it's kinda like blackjack? Google didn't want to tell me what it was so if anyone knows what they were playing, PLEASE tell me as its bugged me for years!)


	2. And the land is dark

\------------

And the Land Is Dark

\------------

_“Every night, I hope and pray.”_ Karkat and Gamzee sang as they walked in front, out of tune but full of energy. _“My dream lover will come my way.”_

_“A girl to hold in my arms.”_ Gamzee trilled.

“ _And know the magic of her charms.”_ Karkat followed.

Behind the merry singers, Sollux and Eridan strolled behind, sharing a laugh at their dorky friends singing some chart song.

The things people do in the countryside when no one else is around.

_“Cuz I want.”_ They both sang, stomping twice on the tracks.

“ _A girl_.”

Stomp.

“ _To call.”_

Stomp.

“ _My own_.”

_“I want a dream lover, so I don’t have to dream alone.”_ Sollux and Eridan joined in the last line, making the two ahead of them turn and giggle at the pair.

\------------

Eridan let Sollux go ahead of him to join the other two, as the blond was half-yelling the rest of the lyrics, making Eridan smile softly to himself. Eridan was a fan of Bobby Darin, and that song had been stuck in his head for the past few weeks anyway.

He’d had a sleepover with just Sollux only last week, at the Captor house, and Eridan had laid awake till past one am. He could hear Simon in the next room, clattering around doing god-knows-what, his radio player on down low, but the walls were thin, and the station had been playing Dream Lover yet again.

Eridan had turned his head to the side, taking in the silhouette of the back of Sollux’s head in the gloom, inches away from his own. Really, they were probably too old to still be sharing a rackety old single bed, both hardly fitting on it anymore, but Sollux had argued that it took too much effort to clear the mess off the floor of his room for Eridan to sleep on. Simon was often up all hours so sleeping on the sofa was a no-go, and it was an unspoken rule that Mituna’s old double bed was off limits.

Eridan hummed along to the tune. He could hardly make it out, but he knew the melody well enough to pick it up. Beside him, Sollux sighed in his sleep, kicking his leg out before leaving it slumped over Eridan’s own shins. Eridan wanted nothing more than to turn onto his side, press himself against Sollux’s back and snake his arms around him pulling him closer, kiss that bedhead blond hair. If he had a dream lover, Sollux was definitely his.

But he didn’t.

Eridan stayed flat on his back, keeping his hands to himself, not wanting to wake Sollux and freak him out, content with just having the chance to sleep next to him at all.

But still, he could dream.

\------------

“Hey, anyone home?” Eridan shook his head, not realising he had went off into a daydream until he noticed Sollux was right up in his space again, reaching to Eridan’s side to take his flask from the hook of his pack.

“Huh?” Eridan said dumbly.

“Water.” Sollux said simply in response, popping off the cap and taking a long drink without asking. He wiped his mouth and handed the container back to Eridan. “I’m already out, KK too.”

“Oh.” Eridan took a sip himself, ignoring the part of his brain that was telling him that Sollux’s mouth had just been _there._ “We can fill up at the Junkyard, right? It’s on the way.”

“Yeah!” Karkat interrupted, taking a long glug from Gamzee’s canteen. “Grape Kool Aid? Really?” Karkat gagged, glaring at his pal.

“It’s good.” Gamzee shrugged.

“Yeah, I’m with Eridan.” Karkat continued. “There’s a pump at Skaia Junkyard, it’s clean water.”

“How the hell do you know what’s in that junkyard?” Sollux teased. “When have you ever been in there? Doesn’t seem your kind of place.”

Karkat reddened. “I’ve been there a time or two! Kankri told me about the pump ages ago. Long as we get there before the owners or Bec then we’re all set.”

“Pfft ok.” Sollux shrugged him off with a smirk, making Karkat blush harder.

“You sure Bec won’t be there? I like having my balls attached.” Gamzee prodded Karkat.

“I think so.” Karkat wavered. “I’m sure it only opens from 3pm to 7 today.” He checked his watch. “And it’s only 1.30 now, we should be fine, no psycho dogs.”

\------------

_“Every child has a myth or legend they all believed when they were young._

_Bec was ours._

_He was well-known among the kids in our town. A monstrous beast who was as big as a bear and twice as mean. Some said he only had one eye, the other he’d lost in a fight with a mountain lion. Other’s said he could sniff out an intruder from a mile away. He was an Alaskan Malamute, thick legs that could chase you down no matter how fast you ran to that fence._

_Bec was owned by the two bachelors who owned Skaia junkyard, Jake English and Dirk Strider. It used to be Dirk’s older brothers, but he’d skipped town years ago, and Dirk had invited his best friend from another state to come run it with him. Their little siblings Jade and Dave were in our year at school and they were pretty odd kids._

_But they weren’t the real threat, it was the notorious Bec. We hadn’t seen him in person, but we had all certainly heard of him. Cronus told me once that he’d almost lost a leg when he was running from the junkyard one evening._

_Jake had trained him well, specialising in biting one particular area, and if he saw kids loitering or stealing in the yard, he only had to say the magic words and you’d be shitting your pants._

_“Bec, sic balls.”_

_And suddenly you’d have a humungous beast on your tail, ready to chomp down on your crown jewels, and damn you’d be wishing you hadn’t skipped gym class so much because that metal fence was so far away and you could feel the heat of Bec’s breath on your back._

_You can see why we had a fear for this dog.”_

_\------------_

“Hey, I’m kinda hungry, who brought the food?” They hadn’t been walking much further before Karkat was complaining about his stomach, as per usual.

All four of them paused in their step, looking between each other, and waiting for someone to speak up.

“Oh fucking great.” Karkat slapped him head. “Are you guys kidding me? No one brought anything to eat? So we’re just gonna starve?”

“Quite your yapping you had lunch an hour ago.” Sollux rolled his eyes but shot a look to Eridan, like he was asking Eridan to sort this shit, to make some snacks appear out of nowhere.

“Did anyone bring anything? I forgot.” Eridan confessed.

“Me too.” Sollux said. Really, he meant that he probably hadn’t bothered looking because his dad hardly ever remembered to buy groceries anymore.

“I got my Kool-Aid.” Gamzee added in.

“Fuck your Kool-Aid.” Karkat snapped at him.

“Hey, hey, don’t diss the magic juice, it’s perfect.” Gamzee snarled. “Why didn’t you bring any? All you brought was a friking comb!”

“Alright, alright.” Sollux stood between the two bickering friends, pushing a hand to each of their chests to hold them back from grabbing at each other. “Let’s just see how much money we have together and make a pit-stop at a store along the way.”

Everyone sat on the tracks, the hot metal and wood almost burning through Eridan’s legs as they all searched through their pockets and wallets, pooling the money together.

“Ok,” Eridan began to count from each pile to see who had what. “I have $1.07, Sollux has 68c, Gamz has 60c and…” He paused, recounting. “Karkat has 7c. Really Kar?” They all eyed up the church boy, who was busy looking at the dirt instead of his friends.

“What?” He protested. “My dad is still reducing my allowance.” He pouted. Eridan sighed and went back to putting it all together.

“So all in all, we have $2.37” He finished. “Should be enough for some dinner and drinks from the store.” He looked behind him, seeing the tell-tale signs of smoke round the corner of the tracks. “Train.” He scooped up the money and pocketed it, picking up his pack and stepping down the slope, Karkat and Sollux in tow.

“Gamzee, the train is coming.” Eridan looked back to the hazy boy, who was standing as still as a statue, facing the oncoming train. It was only just rounding the corner, but it would be on them in less than a minute.

“I can dodge it.” Gamzee mumbled to himself.

Not this stupid shit again.

Gamzee liked to play this crazy game with the cars in town, standing in the way to oncoming traffic, and jumping to the side at the last minute, giving his friends a heart attack and an earful of abuse from the driver. He hadn’t tried this with trains before, this was a new one.

“Don’t be an idiot!” Sollux shouted at him, hoping to awaken Gamzee from the daze he appeared to be in. “Get down!”

Eridan stood to the side, watching and waiting for Gamzee to relent. Beside him, Karkat was chewing nervously at his necklace, hoping his best friend would see sense for once in his life.

“Nah, I can do it.” Gamzee sounded like he was in a trance. It always freaked them out when he got like this.

“Stop being a dick, get off the tracks.” Before Eridan could react Sollux had dropped his pack and went back onto the rails, grabbing Gamzee’s sleeve and tugging.

The boy was skinny as hell, but he stood his ground, not swaying under Sollux’s pull.

“Guys, the train!” Eridan cried, the train was nearly on them, and his heart was hammering away, and he just wanted to yank them both to safety, but his traitorous feet wouldn’t move, cemented to the soil beneath him.

All he could do was watch in horror as the train pumped closer and closer to his two friends, the driver ringing the bell with ferocity and Karkat next to him, looking ready to cry.

Sollux dug his fingers into Gamzee’s shoulders viciously and pushed him fiercely, and the two of them tumbled down the dip of the bank, rolling over each other in the dust and twigs. Karkat sprung to life, racing towards them faster than he’d ever moved in his life. Eridan was hit with the heat coming from the train as it whizzed by them, that had been seconds away from taking his best friends lives. The driver flipped them off as the engine cart went by, tossing a lump of coal at Eridan’s feet in anger.

“Stupid fuckin’ kids!” Eridan only just heard over the din of the machine chugging by them, and the screaming still going on between Gamzee and Sollux.

“I coulda dodged it!” Gamzee was on his feet, a small cut over his nose, shouting at Sollux still hunched down in the mud. Karkat was clinging to Gamzee’s arms, doing his best to hold Gamzee back.

Sollux was having none of it, still not standing when Eridan came over, but kicking out at Gamzee’s ankles, his hair full of leaves and face smudged with chalky earth. “You coulda died! You stupid fuck! Has the pot rotted your brain that much?” Sollux was screaming back at him.

Karkat lost his grip on Gamzee, the tall boy flinging himself onto Sollux, scratching at his arms and kneeing him in the crotch. Sollux was hissing at him like a cat, pulling at Gamzee’s mop of a hair and biting at his neck, trying to kick him off.

“Will you two quit it?!” Karkat was trying to intervene, getting whacked in the chin in the process by Sollux. “That fucking hurt Sollux!” He cried.

“Kar, try and pull Gamzee off of him.” Eridan was crouching down by Sollux’s head, attempting to push Makara off, doing his best to dodge the flying limbs from the pair of them.

Karkat struggled, but was able to prise his best friend up, Gamzee was less likely to hit Karkat than he was with Eridan or Sollux, giving in easier. Sollux was ready to take his chance, using the opportune moment to lurch forward, not done scrapping with Gamzee. Eridan had a hold on Sollux in seconds, gripping him from behind, his arms strong around him.

“Let me go ED!” Sollux snarled, trying to wriggle out of Eridan’s grasp. “Let me get the asshole.” Sollux wasn’t like Gamzee, hesitant to hurt his best friend, as he slammed his head backwards, trying to headbutt Eridan. Eridan pulled him in closer, tighter, so that Sollux couldn’t even move an inch, leaning his head back onto Eridan’s shoulder, breathing hard. He was burning hot against Eridan, the tickle of his breath making the hairs stand up on Eridan’s neck.

“Calm it guys.” Eridan squeezed Sollux’s arms, and he could feel Sollux whine against him, eyes still fixed on Gamzee opposite him. Gamzee had deflated against Karkat, but still looking ready to pounce on Sollux if he said anything else.

“I don’t need a babysitter, Captor.” Gamzee’s voice was deep and chilling.

“You do too.” Sollux bit back, but Eridan could feel he had lost his energy to fight, still and light in his arms. He wasn’t going to let Sollux go completely, he’d made that mistake before, but he let up a bit, arms loosely circled around Sollux’s waist instead of blocking him in. “Eridan, I’m not gonna jump the shithead, let me go.”

Eridan let Sollux slip away, but he didn’t go far, only inches away from Eridan, close enough for Eridan to rub gently at Sollux’s arm, where it was scraped and raw from the tumble. Sollux flinched under the touch but didn’t say a word, letting Eridan’s fingers trace the red scratches made from Gamzee’s fingernails. Eridan and Karkat shared a glance over each of their friends shoulders, not sure what to do next.

Sollux was the first to bite the bullet, sticking out his hand for Gamzee. “Truce? Show me some skin Makara.”

Eridan was proud of him for that. Sollux was usually pretty bitter and was known to hold onto grudges for ages, so this was a grand gesture for him to back down first. But Gamzee seemed to be in an incredibly stubborn mood this afternoon.

“Suck it Captor.” Gamzee shrugged off Karkat and strutted off down the tracks, thankfully not in the direction of town but further away from his friends.

“Gamzee, c’mon.” Karkat trotted after him, casting a sympathetic smile to the remaining two.

Sollux raced after the pale boy, leaving Eridan in the dust. He caught up to the other two in seconds, Eridan arriving at a more leisurely pace.

“I mean it GZ.” Sollux had rounded on Gamzee, making him look at him. “Truce? I don’t wanna spend this whole trip fightin’ with you, solider.” And damn, he was good. Easiest way to butter up Gamzee was to mention anything army or magic related.

Gamzee teetered on the edge, biting his lip, and rolling his eyes at Sollux bobbing on his heels in front of him, still with his fist out for Gamzee to bump in solidarity.

“Alright, fine.” Gamzee sighed and smacked their knuckles together. “Pals again.” The tension between them shattered in an instant, Gamzee looping an arm over Sollux’s shoulders roughly and half dragging the boy down the tracks with him in a semi-aggressive-semi-affectionate side hug.

“Got any water left?” Karkat said to Eridan, ignoring the two idiots ahead of them.

“Yeah, sure, let’s get to the junkyard.” Eridan handed the canteen to the shorter boy and started after the others.

\------------

_“She was too young to fall in love, and I was too young to know.”_

Craig Douglas’ song filtered through the hazy air from the radio in Meenah’s convertible. Nobody was really listening though, his crooning lost on the gang of rag-tag teens.

Meenah was sitting on the hood with Porrim Maryam, letting the tattooed girl paint her nails a flashy pink, still licking her wounds from her meeting with the two younger Ampora and Captor, as well as her own friend.

Latula was pointedly not looking at the leader, too busy smooching Kankri Vantas senseless on a blanket on the dry grass. Kankri’s older sister Meulin and Gamzee’s older brother, Kurloz were sharing a similar experience in bed of his truck a few feet away. Rufioh and Horrus were missing yet again, but that was expected from Rufioh with the current situation.

Damara had rolled up in her beat up car a few minutes earlier, taking a seat with Porrim and Meenah, a scowl on her face and a slim cigar on her lips.

“What’s up your ass Megido?” Meenah was blowing her nails dry, letting Damara have her turn with Porrim’s pampering.

“Boss chewed me out today, thinking I was making a fuss over nothin’” Damara sulked.

“What happened girl?” Porrim asked gently.

“Was helpin’ chef with some prep work in the kitchen since the diner was quiet and heard a big ol’ bang out back.” Damara puffed away on her smoke, swinging her legs into Porrim’s lap in the process. Porrim didn’t comment, letting Damara carry on. “Sounded like firecrackers or something, so chef made me go tell the little brats that were probably out there to piss off. Had a look, nobody or any crackers about.” She tossed the burned-out nub onto the grass, even though she knew that pissed Porrim off. “Went back to the kitchen and boss was havin’ a fit that I was gone, sayin’ I should only be smokin’ on break, not while workin’, and that I’d made it up and there was no firecrackers at all.” She rolled her eyes, both the girls with her knew how much trouble Damara had had lately with her boss.

“Don’t get me started on fuckin’ kids, seems little shits were all over the place today.” Meenah chimed in, shooting a glare in Latula’s direction. “Didn’t have much support in the tussle either, thanks to Pyrope.”

“You get in a fight?” Damara asked.

“Somethin’ like that.” Meenah answered.

“More like, she got in a row with Eridan and Sollux, and Latula didn’t back her up so now she’s pissed off.” Porrim smirked, picking at some crusted sugar on Damara’s work skirt. She’d heard the story from Latula already. She didn’t want to get in between this argument, and as much as Damara loved drama, she probably should too.

“Aw, sucks.” Damara didn’t seem interested in the least.

“Thanks for the pity, girlfriend. Tellin’ ya, Pyrope tried to choke me out. Watch out for her.” Meenah was milking it for all it’s worth, whether Damara cared or not.

“Oh quit it!” Latula had heard them and shouted over to the girls on the car. Kankri looked dazed and kiss-blissed, only half aware that his girlfriend was moving off of him now. “Don’t listen to this sob-story, Damara. Meenah was being a brat and was trying to steal Eridan’s shit.” Latula swaggered over to them, shooting daggers at Meenah.

“Really not interested.” Damara was more focused on twirling her finger through Porrim’s long hair. “You been usin’ new shampoo girl? This is so soft.”

Porrim went into a long ramble about a new product she’d been using, Damara listening intently, making it clear she couldn’t care less about the current feud between Meenah and Latula. Latula glanced back over to Kankri, seeing that Meulin and Kurloz had joined him, chatting about something she couldn’t quite make out.

“Let’s just call it quits girl.” Meenah sighed.

“Huh?” Latula had been too focused on Kankri’s creased eyes as he laughed at something, the soft blush on his cheeks making her heart stutter.

“Truce?” Meenah spoke again.

“I guess.” Latula wasn’t going to ever expect Meenah to apologize, so this was the closest it was going to get. May as well keep the peace.

“Show me some skin.” Meenah held out her palm for Latula to slap and seal the deal, which she did with force. “What’s the blowhard complaining about over there?” Meenah pointed her thumb over to Kankri and the other two, who seemed to be debating something, Kankri looking frustrated already, his happy expression had changed into a frown.

“Dunno, let’s go see.” Latula trotted back to her spot on the rug, Meenah boosting herself off of the hood of the car. “Hey, you two, you’re coming too.” Porrim and Damara scowled at Meenah but followed anyway.

“What’s up your ass now, tightass?” Meenah asked the tanned boy.

“Kurloz just told me that our little brothers have went off for a sleepover in my back yard, in that big tent they put up.” Kankri complained.

“So?” Damara didn’t seem to care about this either.

“So, Meulin said that Karkat told our parents that he’s staying at the Makara’s! They’re sneaking off somewhere!”

“Big whoop. They’re sixteen, not six.” Damara shrugged. “We used to do that shit all the time too.”

“But now really isn’t the time, what with Tavros missing.” Meulin interjected. “I know they’re not children, but it’s still worrying not knowing where they’re going.”

“Oh you lot worry more than our parents do!” Meenah laughed. “They’re just going camping.” She rolled her eyes.

“How do you know that? They aren’t with Feferi.” Kankri snapped back. “I think.”

“We ran into Sollux and Eridan earlier.” Latula stroked his hair, trying to calm her high-strung boyfriend down. “They were going camping, so no doubt with Karkat and Gamzee too. Probably just didn’t say anything because they knew you’d freak out like this.” She felt him freeze under her touch at that.

“Where did they say they were going?” Porrim cut in.

“Don’t know.” Latula shrugged, not seeing what all the fuss was about. If Terezi had wanted to go camping, she wouldn’t be stressing like this. Did that make her a bad sister? “Probably in the woods somewhere, that’s where Sollux used to go a lot. Y’know, if you follow the tracks?”

Both Porrim and Kankri paled at that. The chances of the boys walking all the way out to Back Harlow Road was slim, but it was still possible for them to find Tavros.

“They’ll be fine.” Kurloz patted Kankri’s shoulder. “They’re smart enough, if they get into trouble, there’s four of them at least. Have a smoke, it’ll help your nerves.”

“No thank you.” Kankri’s voice was back to a normal level. He didn’t want any of the stuff that Kurloz and Meulin smoked. Latula leant across his lap for a drag of the joint herself, and Kankri took the chance to cast a glance over to Porrim. She looked as on edge as he felt.

And then it hit him.

Karkat had probably overheard them that morning.

He knew that their father had sent him to clean out the shed in the church garden, but Kankri had completely forgotten about that. Just because he hadn’t seen his little brother, that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. He was probably leading his friends right to Tavros! And what if he told the police how he knew where to look?

Kankri felt a wave of dread seep over him, the hot summer air doing nothing to stop the cold sweat washing over him. He wanted to have faith in Karkat, that he was innocent or wouldn’t say a word, but he was still scared. He _knew_ he should have told the police, no matter what Porrim had convinced him with. Guess this was karma for being a scardey-cat.

Kankri just knew he was screwed.

\------------

The four boys had reached the rusting metal fence that encircled the whole of Skaia’s Junkyard. It was coming up for 2pm, and it was like the day had thought it wasn’t baking the guys enough already, amping up the heat, sweat dripping down the back of Eridan’s neck. Beside him, Karkat was losing his battle with swatting away flies and other little bugs, clearly they though of him as a fantastic meal. Sollux looked a little out of it on his other side, his eyes hazy and swaying a little. He’d already drunk all of Eridan’s water and Eridan thought that they couldn’t get to that pump fast enough. A crusting ‘No Trespassing’ sign hung limply at head height on the gate, and none of them wanted to be the first to break in, the threat of Jake English and his crazy dog hanging over them.

“Stand back men!” Of course it was Gamzee that would be the first to climb, making ‘pew-pew’ noises like a gun loading and flinging his pack over the gate, quickly followed by his gangly frame.

The others scrabbled over, the hot metal stinging their palms and legs at the slightest touch. Sollux half tumbled over, not bothering to lower himself down and Karkat fell the same way, albeit with less grace. “Paratroopers go!” Gamzee wasn’t waiting for the others, running lopsidedly through the mess of the junkyard.

“Gamzee’s crazy.” Eridan commented with affection as he watched Karkat toddle after his best friend, lost among the remains of cars and fridges.

“He won’t live to be twenty, I bet.” Sollux agreed, dusting off his pack. Eridan couldn’t help but laugh at that, but secretly hoped that wouldn’t be true.

“Remember that time you saved him in that tree?” Eridan helped Sollux to his feet, holding his hand a little longer than usual as Sollux wobbled on his own feet.

“Yeah.” Sollux rolled his eyes at the memory and the pair began to walk slowly in the direction that the others had disappeared in.

A couple of years ago, they’d been hanging out at the farmland around Sollux’s place, where one huge oak tree was. Being carefree boys, of course they’d began to climb it. But Gamzee, being his usual inane self, had decided it was a smart idea to climb higher than the others, almost to the top where the branches were thin and flimsy. Naturally, a twig of a branch that he’d been sitting on had snapped, and sometimes Eridan could still hear that cry, and the scream from Karkat underneath him. Sollux had reacted faster than Eridan had thought anyone ever could, one of those fight or flight moments, and had miraculously caught Gamzee by the nape of his t-shirt before he tumbled to his death. Sollux had popped his shoulder out of its socket with the force, and only just managed to keep himself in the tree by having his legs wrapped tightly around the thick trunk of a branch he’d been on. Eridan had made his way to Sollux’s branch in seconds, and between the two of them, they had managed to pull Gamzee up to safety. At the time, they’d laughed with relief, but the thought of what could have so easily gone wrong scared Eridan at times.

Eridan hoped that Karkat really did know where the pump was, he couldn’t recall its exact location right now, it had been a long time since he’d been here, and he didn’t feel like spending an hour strolling around in this stink of a field.

“Yeah, sometimes I still have dreams about that.” Sollux spoke again, his voice distant and muffled. Eridan gave him a quizzical look, seeing that the incident still hung on in Sollux’s memory uncomfortably, like it did in his.

“But I always miss him.” Sollux sounded off, as if he was in the dream itself again. “My hand reaches out, and all I get is some clumps of his hair, and then down he goes.” Sollux stared at his fingertips, reminiscing. “Weird, right?” Sollux grinned at Eridan, trying to lighten the mood, but Eridan could still see the little bit of dread in his eyes.

“Yeah, weird.” Eridan agreed. He didn’t want to think what the subliminal message was that Sollux’s brain was trying to send him.

“But you didn’t miss him.” Eridan tried to reassure Sollux, bring him back up. It seemed like they were all on a rollercoaster of emotions today, and it was only early afternoon. “Sollux Captor never misses, huh?” Eridan knocked their shoulders together, wanting to make Sollux smile easily again.

His wish was granted. “Not even when the ladies leave the toilet seat up.” Sollux said the cheesy line, making them both chuckle as he made a ring with his fingers and spat through it. “Race me to the water pump?”

Neither of them were much for exercise and even though Sollux had been dizzy from the heat a few minutes ago, he had perked up and was ready to go. And who was Eridan to deny him?

“You’re on!” Eridan smirked to the other, speeding off without warning.

“Oh, you’re a dead man Ampora!” Sollux cheered after him, hot on his tail, their feet pounding in tandem.

Eridan had the lead, and he rounded the corner of some clunk of junk, feeling the electricity between the pair of them. But when he looked to his side to be met with Sollux’s carefree smile, the blond had caught up to him and now they were neck in neck. Sollux was laughing as he ran, making Eridan’s heart thump from more than just the exertion. Sollux had his mismatched eyes focused on Eridan, not where he was running, and Eridan could see the delight in them, and something stirred inside, something telling him that Sollux was like this because of _him._

The water pump came into view, and Karkat and Gamzee were already there, filling Karkat’s bottle. They both looked up to see their two spectacled friends running like children towards them.

“And what’s this, Ampora thinks he has a chance against Captor, but Captor is advancing, ready to finish the line!” Sollux rattled off like a commentator, his arms raised up, but he hadn’t been looking where he was going, tripping over a coil of loose metal wire as he had sped in front of a slowing Eridan.

Before Eridan could do anything, Sollux had twisted sideways, barrelling into Eridan, his pack slipping off his shoulder as the pair of them tumbled to the ground in a mess of limbs and sleeping bags.

“And the crowd goes wild.” Karkat said flatly, unimpressed at the two idiots covered in muck. Gamzee laughed giddily at the two, but returned his attention to the water pump, more interesting in pouring it on his arm.

“Oooph.” Eridan coughed, spitting out specks of dusty earth from his mouth, hearing Sollux groan.

Eridan had been winded by the crash landing, his backpack steadying some of the fall, but it had mostly been Sollux landing heavily on top of him. For such a skinny guy, Sollux had come down on him like a bag of rocks. During the fall, the wire that Sollux had originally tripped on had wound itself around his ankle and calves, cutting into his jeans, and now had tangled the pair at the ankles.

“You alrigh’?” Sollux said from Eridan’s chest.

“Yeah. This doesn’t count as a win, by the way.” Eridan replied, trying to get his breath back, even with another body on top of him.

“I’m calling it a tie.” Sollux joked and finally lifted his head, his glasses hanging at an odd angle, but the childish grin was still present. “You’re all dusty.” He stated the obvious, reaching up a hand to pat at the chalk that had turned Eridan’s cheeks grey.

“Like you can talk. You look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge.” Eridan hoped that chalk was hiding his blush right now, because as much as Sollux looked a wreck with the cuts on his face and now leaves and dirt in his hair, Eridan couldn’t help but think he still looked gorgeous. “Here.” Eridan braved a hand into Sollux’s hair, fishing out a bubble gum wrapper that he must have picked up from the junkyard floor.

Eridan’s heart short-circuited when Sollux just giggled at him, honest to god, giggled, and smiled dopily at Eridan, still pawing at his cheeks while Eridan stroked a hand through his wheat-coloured hair. There wasn’t any garbage in it anymore, but Eridan couldn’t stop, and it seemed like Sollux wasn’t too fussed about it either. Neither tried to get up and move, too lost in their post-race snuggling it seemed.

“Are you two going to get any of this water, or are my arms just going to fall off first?” Karkat’s angry tone made them both jump, remembering that they were on the floor of a junkyard with their friends.

Sollux scrambled to his feet first, while Eridan focused on averting his gaze from Sollux’s thighs in his jeans, trying to untangle the wire around each of their ankles. “Sorry KK! Here, fill mine up Gamzee.” Sollux tossed his canister to Gamzee, who miraculously managed to catch it on time while Eridan finished up his job.

\------------

_“I’m just a lonely boy, lonely and blue,_

_I’m all alone, with nothing to do.”_

Gamzee had brought his radio with him, and another one of Eridan’s favourite songs, Paul Anka’s Lonely boy was playing from its spot on the floor. The four of them had agreed on a well-needed break, sitting in a semi-circle with their backs against an old bus, drinking water, tossing rocks at a can, and talking crap over the sound of a radio.

“ _Somebody-somebody-somebody please ~ “_ Sollux mumbled along to the song next to Eridan, not a part of the conversation between the other three, who were debating if gym class or shop class was worse. Eridan didn’t really care for either, but Karkat was adamant that gym class was a form of torture, while Gamzee insisted that shop class was invented by the devil, with the amount of splinters and bruises he got from it.

“Both are crappy, but nothing is as bad as math class first period on a Friday.” Eridan chimed in. Who the hell wants to do algebra at that time of the day?

“What? You’re crazy ED. Maths class is great.” Sollux said next to him. Ok, apparently this weirdo liked to put his brain into overdrive before lunchtime, but Eridan expected that from his best friend.

He shrugged, not bothering with a proper answer, tossing another pebble into the rusty can a few feet away from them.

“This is a really good time. Isn’t it?” Karkat said with a soft smile.

“The best.” Gamzee murmured from next to him, laughing to himself as his rock knocked the can right over.

Eridan exchanged a grin with Sollux, neither wording their agreement, but feeling it too.

\------------

_“He was right._

_Not just about being in a junkyard or fudging our parents or going to Harlow. But the time. We had everything around us that we needed and even though we didn’t know exactly who we were then, or where we were going, it didn’t matter. We had each other, and that felt enough. Just a moment of peace, with nothing too heavy but our stupid jokes. We didn’t know it at the time, but this would be a moment I would recall fondly many times in the years to come._

_Karkat was right, it was a grand time.”_

\------------

Gamzee spat some water from mouth at Karkat’s face like a fish, making the Latino boy cry out in disgust before returning the favour. Eridan scuttled further away from the pair, trying not to get caught in their gross game. Sollux had crawled away before him, setting the can back upright and Eridan made his way over to him. He was met with a splash of water from Sollux doing the exact same to him.

“I hate you sometimes.” Eridan groaned, wiping the liquid off of his glasses.

“No you don’t.” Sollux smirked at him.

Eridan didn’t dignify that with an answer, looking at his watch instead. “Hey guys. Guys!” Eridan called over to Karkat and Gamzee who were still in the middle of their spit war. “It’s 2.15. Shouldn’t someone head to the shop before we get caught?”

They’d spent the past fifteen minutes relaxing and having a laugh, even though it was less than an hour before the junkyard opened. But time was sneaking up on them and the afternoon heat had gotten to their heads. If Eridan hadn’t brought up the time, they probably would have spent much longer tossing rocks and singin’ tunes, forgetting about needing food until Karkat complained again.

“All flip for it? Odds goes to the store?” Sollux suggested. They each murmured in agreement.

Eridan, who had been holding onto the collected money, tossed everyone a coin and they each flipped the coin and slapped it onto the upside of their hand. Eridan was the first to reveal his, tails. Beside him, Sollux got the same. Guess they were kicking it back at the junkyard some more.

“Aw, cool, I get to nap.” Gamzee drawled, showing tails.

“Oh no.” Karkat groaned, ready to accept his fate raising his hand to see his coin. “Oh no, that’s worse!” He cried.

“What?” Eridan saw that Karkat’s coin was a tails as well. Guess they were all flipping again.

“Oh no man, no this is so bad.” Karkat wailed. “Four tails is a goocher guys! It’s bad luck.” He scowled at the quarter still in his hand, as if it had cursed them all.

“Aw, for real bro?” Gamzee was shocked, but his tone was still in the realm of half-asleep.

“It’s an old wife’s tale.” Eridan shook it off. He wasn’t sure if he believed in the rumour or not, but he wanted to calm Karkat down, and not get Gamzee freaked out too.

“Yeah!” Karkat was adamant in it. “My brother told me that he and his friends all got goocher’s one time, then that night they got caught by the cops when they were out in the back fields!”

“They got caught because some old farmer called the cops on them because they were blasting their music from the car stereo and getting wasted and being too loud.” Sollux rolled his eyes. “’Tuna came home that night in cuffs too remember? They were being idiots, not because of some cursed dosh.”

“Still…” Karkat wavered.

“Let’s just flip again, until at least one person get’s heads.” Eridan cut in before Karkat could amp it up anymore.

All four of them repeated the steps as before, Karkat squinting at his tails with suspicion, Gamzee sighing with relief at his second tails. Sollux had the same result as the first time, and they all looked to Eridan with anticipation, or dread in Karkat’s case.

“Heads.” Eridan revealed his, groaning at having to walk the quick few minutes down the road to Zahhak corner store.

“Ahahhaha!” Gamzee wasn’t sympathetic, already back to sitting in the dirt and giggling up at Eridan.

“Ampora, odd as a cod.” Sollux grinned at him.

“Can’t one of you come with me?” Eridan complained. “I don’t want to go on my own.”

“Baby.” Sollux teased, leaning back and stretching out like a lazy cat.

“You lost, fair and square.” Karkat shrugged, flopping down in between the other two. “Make sure to get some cola!”

With a grunt, Eridan started off for the fence, already missing the shade from the bus and the sight of Sollux splayed out before him.

Eridan didn’t come to this store very often, giving the banner a glare as he entered the cool of the store, seeing an older teen at the counter with his face in a newspaper. Eridan didn’t say a word to him, more focused on grabbing some hamburger rolls and a pack of cookies. He made his way to the fridge, picking out four bottles of Karkat’s precious cola, before making his way to the counter.

The guy at the till was someone he knew, one of Cronus’s old friends, although Eridan didn’t think they had been super close. He was here for hamburger meat, not a reunion. 

“Aren’t you Cronus Ampora’s little brother?” Guess they were having small-talk time.

“Yep.” Eridan answered simply. He hadn’t seen Horrus Zahhak since the funeral.

“Shame what happened to him.” Horrus didn’t get the hint that Eridan wasn’t in the mood to talk, especially not about Cronus. “He was a good guy, Mituna too.” Horrus continued packing raw meat onto the scales. “Never did catch the truck that hit them huh?”

Eridan cringed at that, he didn’t want to be reminded that the person that had rammed into their truck was still free in the world, no consequences for taking two lives.

“The bible says in the midst of life we are in death.” Horrus said sagely, continuing. Eridan raised an eyebrow at the comment. He’d never been one for religion, and he certainly didn’t want some random guy preaching it to him, as if that fixed everything.

“Don’t know what I’d be like if it had been my little brother.” Horrus mused to himself as Eridan decided that the Nabisco Marshmallow cookies would be better at a campfire than Oreos, walking back off to the shelf and switching them. Eridan didn’t know Horrus’s kid brother, and he didn’t care.

“You look like your brother, Eridan, people ever tell you that?” Horrus wasn’t letting up.

“Sometimes.” Eridan didn’t see all the similarities, but people did comment on it often enough. More than ever now.

“I remember the game last fall.” Horrus slapped the meat onto the brown paper. “Father, ghost and Jesus that boy could throw. We would have lost without him, hell of a quarterback. You play football?”

“What?” Eridan had tuned out forever ago.

“You play football?” Horrus repeated.

Eridan looked confused for a moment, as if the thought of tossing a ball around made him sick. “No.” He scowled.

That appeared to throw Horrus off for a moment, like he hadn’t anticipated the brother of football hero Cronus Ampora to not enjoy the sport too. Little did he know, Cronus hadn’t really cared either. “Well, what do you do?”

Eridan stared at the string around the package of meat.

“I don’t know.”

Eridan did know the only thing he really had a passion for, but like hell he was going to tell some sweaty shop keeper he half-knew. Other than his friends, it had only been Cronus that knew. Cronus the one that actually supported him. Certainly not their father. Eridan remembered the dinner his family had had the day before the famous game that Horrus was talking about.

\------------

“Could be some scouts at the game tomorrow.” Orpheus Ampora said to Cronus, who was more focused on wolfing down the mashed potatoes their mother had made.

“I don’t know pops.” Cronus said in a bored tone.

“Dad could you pass me the asparagus?” Eridan was trying to reach the bowl on the other end of the huge mahogany table but failing.

“Could be your chance.” Orpheus ignored his youngest son, while Cronus answered with a grunt. “It’s what I hear son.” 

“Are you seeing Porrim after the game?” Their mother, Cassandra, cut in, her fingers laced together as she smiled serenely across the table to Cronus. “I think she’s a lovely girl, even if she is a bit, uh, alternative.” She paused, while Cronus only shrugged in response.

“Dad.” Eridan tried again.

Orpheus was deaf to his youngest son, it appeared.

“Now see, Cassandra, this is what I’m talking about!” He put his fork down, glaring at his wife. “Stop filling the boys head with girls and romance, this is the biggest game of his life!” He switched his intensive eyes from Cassandra to Cronus, trying to convey to his eldest son how important this football game could be for him.

Cronus rolled his eyes at the comment, showing his disinterest. Orpheus noticed and scowled at the boy. Eridan could see that Cronus was tapping out some melody on his knee under the table, his nervous tick.

Cassandra didn’t comment on her husbands outburst, but finally acknowledged Eridan, passing the bowl of vegetables to him with a tentative smile.

“Cronus, when you’re out there tomorrow –“ Orpheus was pointing his finger at the greaser, an argument brewing, but Cronus interrupted him.

“Pops, did you read Danny’s story?” Orpheus pulled his finger away, affronted at his son daring to speak over him. “Eridan wrote a story, it was really good.” Cronus nodded, nudging the younger by his side.

Eridan flushed at being put on the spot. He usually didn’t share these sorts of things with his parents, especially his father, as he knew what he thought of such past times. A waste of energy and brain power, a hobby for old men or ditzy girls and their love stories. Eridan knew Cronus was just trying to divert the conversation from himself and the stupid football game, he wasn’t trying to get Eridan in trouble.

“What did you write sweetheart?” Cassandra asked, her tone much gentler and encouraging than Eridan had ever heard his father’s be, she was genuinely curious in what he’d wrote.

“Now see here,” Orpheus didn’t let Eridan answer. “This is what I’m trying to put a stop to. The boy needs to be training his brain for intellectual things, like business or mathematics, not this namby-pamby trash.” Orpheus spat out at his wife.

Eridan shrunk back into his seat, recoiling at his father’s anger.

“Football takes concentration and wit, you keep talking about girls and dates and Cronus’s mind ends up all over the place, he doesn’t have time to pander to Eridan’s childish games.”

Cassandra’s wide eyes darted between her two boys, wanting to talk back to her husband, but like she always did in situations like this, she pretended to be somewhere else, reaching for her wine glass while Orpheus continued berating her on her parenting skills and all the ways their sons were going wrong.

“I liked it.” Cronus broke through Eridan’s melancholy mood while he watched his father tear down his mother some more.

“Yeah?” Eridan attempted to smile.

“Yeah, thought it was great.” Cronus whispered, while Orpheus told his wife never to interrupt him again while he taught the boys an important life lesson. “I want the first signed copy when you get published, ‘kay Danny?”

“You got it!” Eridan needed that pick me up, trying not to giggle too loudly when Cronus slapped him affectionately on the back of the head.

Even if his father constantly brought his spirits down, and his mother was too weak to stand up to him and truly encourage him in his writing, he knew that Cronus would always have his back.

\------------

Eridan made his way back through the heatwave in the junkyard, his mood sour after the interaction with Horrus, and the resurfacing of memories of Cronus and how crappy his father could be to him.

He kicked a rusted tin ahead of him as he neared the bus, hearing the murmur from his friends. It was nearly 3pm, and they needed to get heading, Jake or Dirk might already be here for all they knew, this place was a maze of crusting metal and dusty stacks of wood. If he could stay here forever, just with his friends in their own dirtbag world with nothing but a radio and Sollux smiling at him like he was his everything, then Eridan could be happy.

But they had to get going.

“’Sup ED.” Sollux greeted him as Eridan rounded the corner of the bus. Sollux was laying on his side, his elbow propped up and holding his head steady while he smoked a cigarette lazily.

Gamzee was in the same spot Eridan had left him, leaning against a wheel that was half the size of him, eyes drooping, and his legs splayed out in front of him, like a toddler ready for a nap.

“Where’s Karkat?” Eridan noticed it was too quiet, and that was most definitely because he couldn’t see the short-tempered boy anywhere in sight.

“Went to take a piss.” Sollux answered, then looked to his wristwatch. “’Bout 15 minutes ago.”

“Why did neither of you go look for him?” The two boys in the dirt shrugged. “Get up, I’ve got the food, let’s find Kar and get going.” Eridan grabbed a hold of Sollux’s arm and hoisted him to his feet, Gamzee slowly rising like the act of standing physically hurt him.

“Which way did he go?”

The trio headed off in the direction that Sollux had seen Karkat walk off in, and every now and then they would see a footprint in a patch of clay or looser dirt, confirming that they were in the right direction. The gate was in sight, half a gym hall length away from them, when a shout rang out through the air, making all three of them freeze.

“Hey!

Gamzee looked at the other two with bewilderment, checking they had heard it too.

“Hey, you kids aren’t supposed to be in here, are you stealing?” The deep, British voice was heard again.

“Run.”

Sollux lead the way, racing in front of Eridan and Gamzee to the metal fence, not taking the chance to look back, Eridan and Gamzee following suit. Eridan was sweating buckets, his nerves frayed with fright, unsure if the dreaded dog was behind them or not.

Sollux sprang onto the fence like a grasshopper, climbing with his pack still on his back. He was over the side in a second, catching Eridan’s bag when he tossed it over and began to climb. Gamzee slithered up the metal beside Eridan and dropped heavily onto the safe side.

When Eridan had both feet on the ground, he finally looked back to the yard, praying that Karkat was sneaking over a fence somewhere too. He could see the back of a burly man in khaki shorts, his hands on his hips as a white dog that looked to be the size of a polar bear sniffed the ground at his feet. Bec raised his head and sped off in between the cars, while Jake English started towards them.

“What do we do?” Eridan hissed to the other too.

“We can’t leave Karkat!” Sollux stood his ground as Jake came closer.

Eridan wanted to bolt and leave Karkat to his own devices, but that bastardly little part of him that was worried for his friend was too loud in his head.

“ARGHHHH!!!” Karkat’s unmistakable scream erupted from somewhere inside the junkyard, and their friend appeared in their vision, running like the wind.

“There’s Karbro.” Gamzee pointed.

Jake stopped to watch the boy run towards them, with Bec hot on his tail. A taller, blond man with sunglasses and carrying a spanner was heading towards them from the other direction.

“Guys!” Eridan had never seen Karkat run so fast in his life, his arms flapping wildly at his sides and his hair plastered to his face.

“What the hell is going on Jake?” The blond guy asked, who Eridan knew to be the older Strider brother. “I was just about to open up when I heard all this noise.”

“Kids in the yard, Bec is after the little one.” Jake jabbed his thumb at the boy as he bolted past the two adults, Bec pausing at his owners. “Carry on, Bec. Good lad.” Jake patted the dogs flank and the dog started off again after Karkat.

“Think they were stealing?” Dirk looked to see three other boys on the other side of the fence. None of them looked to be carrying anything that belonged to the junkyard, but who knew what was in their bags.

“Not sure chap!” Jake grinned.

“RUN, KARKAT, RUN!” Sollux almost burst Eridan’s eardrum when he screamed from his side, cheering Karkat on.

Karkat flung himself into the fence, panting. His rucksack landed on Gamzee when he threw it over, the other too slow to catch it properly. Over the racket his friends were making as Karkat climbed up, Jake was walking closer with Dirk beside him. Eridan thought it must be the heat getting to him, but he saw a figure slink out from the cars in the distance and shuffle off in the direction that Dirk had came from.

Eridan squinted at the guy, seeing the pale blond hair and red shirt, sunglasses ever present. He was a guy in their year, the younger Strider brother, Dave or Doug or something. Had he been hanging with Karkat? Because he was trying really hard to not be seen by his brother and his friend right now, ducking behind junk and practically crawling away from view.

Karkat had made it to the top of the fence and was almost in the clear when Bec had jumped up and taken a mouthful of Karkat’s jean cuffs. Karkat screamed higher than Eridan thought possible, yanking his leg up without thinking and toppling over onto the other side. The three boys caught him as he crashed to the ground, Bec barking and scooting from side to side.

“That’s Bec?!” Karkat sat up, gasping at the sight of the mutt that had just tried to eat him.

And like most childhood legends, they didn’t turn out to be true.

Sure, the dog was massive, the biggest dog that Eridan had ever seen, but he was yipping joyfully, his tail swishing with excitement as he dug at the floor beneath the fence, a dopey expression on his face.

“He looks like an oversized puppy!” Sollux began to laugh when Bec rolled onto his back, tummy in the air.

“What the hell were you kids doing here?” Dirk reminded them of his presence, making them all stop trying to pet the dog through the wire.

“Water.” Eridan answered, showing his canteen. “We were out and it’s roasting hot.”

“Hm.” Dirk seemed like he didn’t actually care. “Fair enough.”

“Still trespassing lads!” Jake was on his haunches, giving Bec his well-deserved belly rubs. “You definitely didn’t take anything?”

“What would we steal my muscly bro?” Gamzee said. “I don’t think my little arms could lift any of those big old cars over this fence.”

Jake laughed at that, and even Dirk quirked a smile at Gamzee’s silly tone.

“True. But next time, just come to the front and ask, I know Bec’s a big softie, but he is trained to attack intruders when needed.” Dirk nodded to the sappy beast. “Can really do some damage.”

“Yeah, you’re lucky I saw it was just you kids!” Jake looked to Karkat. “Oh hey Karkat, were you here to see Dave again? I can go get him if you like.”

Karkat reddened from Jake’s suggestion, feeling all of his friends eyes on him. Gamzee appeared to be confused, probably just trying to remember who Dave was. Eridan too as he didn’t think Strider and Karkat were all that close, so why had he been here before? Helping with homework maybe. Sollux just smirked like the cat that got the cream.

“No thanks!” Karkat stuttered. “We got our water, we gotta go now! Thanks Jake!”

“Do you kids need a lift?” Dirk offered. “It wouldn’t be a trouble. Makara and Ampora right?” The two mentioned nodded. “And I think I know where Captor farmhouse is, but I could just drop you off in town.”

“We’re going camping, it’s ok.” Eridan declined, making sure to not tell them exactly where they were going.

“Camping!” Jake grinned, showing his bunny-teeth. “Great idea chaps! Oh Dirk, we should go camping again soon, while it’s still summer. Ah, I miss the great outdoors.”

And like that, Jake was prattling on about some new trail he wanted to explore, with Dirk directing him back into the Junkyard with a steady hand on Jake thick arm. He nodded to the teens and left them to their own devices, Bec following after the two men.

Karkat picked up his bag and started off back towards the tracks, making it clear that they were on the move again. The other three followed suit, Sollux sidling up to the still cringing Vantas.

“What’s this I hear about hanging with Mr Dave Strider huh?”

His cheerful grin was met with a shove from Karkat, pushing the taller back into Gamzee and Eridan.

“Oh shove it, Captor, it’s nothing. Don’t we have a body to find?”

\------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo sorry for such a late update!  
> April and May weren't the greatest of months for me, so trying to find the momentum to write was a struggle, as well as trying to write a fic for another fandom. When I did get inspiration, half the time it was for little snippets or bits that will be used later on, so thanks brain, real useful there!  
> I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but I know I'd just end up nitpicking and editing it forever if I didn't just post it. Even though I've had writers block and joined another fandom, I haven't lost an ounce of love for this story and these characters, so another chapter will happen!  
> I also read a fic that was AMAZING, but was listed as complete, then at the last chapter it turned out it wasn't the author just didn't want to finish it anymore, and I was so frustrated, as it was soo good and had just gotten to the best part. So I am determined to finish this fic, one way or another, even if updates are slow and it takes me forever.  
> Thanks so much for everyone that read the previous chapter. The people that commented and left Kudo's, you were especially amazing, it made me so happy to see that someone else was enjoying this, and they really helped give encourage me to write every day, even if it was just a sentence.  
> I hope you guys enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, my first fic in a long time! I'm one of those idiots who got into homestuck 10 years late, only in 2019 aha.
> 
> So, yeah I really love the movie Stand by Me, as well as the book The Body, and would seriously recommend watching and reading them! I'm not a very emotional person, but they both bring me to tears.  
> I hope it's not crazy ooc, I'm still getting the hang of writing them and I definitely find some characters easier to write than others, but I think that always happens. Some of the slang may seem weird on the characters, but I was trying to follow the style of the era and the speech in the movies.  
> I'll try to update as often as I can, maybe every couple of weeks, but I can't always promise that, especially when I have to go back to work. This will be rather long I imagine, especially as I have another series planned to go alongside this, like little snippets of each character or pairing, each one based on an Elvis song from the '50s. 
> 
> I don't have a beta reader and English is my first language so any spelling or grammar mistakes are my own fault.  
> I am Scottish so if things are incorrect about some American things, please let me know. I've tried to research as much as possible, but please don't hesitate to let me know when I've totally buggered something! I had to google what Labor Day was! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! If you want to send me any messages on tumblr my url is suna-sai :)
> 
> (Also I have no clue what card game they were playing in the movie, so I just tried to follow it along, and I guess it's kinda like blackjack? Google didn't want to tell me what it was so if anyone knows what they were playing, PLEASE tell me as its bugged me for years!)


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